The days are drawing in which means that the winter solstice will soon be upon us, as well as many people making their way to Stonehenge to witness it.
This is a twice-yearly pilgrimage for many visitors, including Druids and Pagans, who also go to the heritage site to see the summer solstice in June.
These events draw in large crowds to celebrate the passing of the seasons, and give the opportunity for people to visit Stonehenge with effectively no barriers.
Here's all you need to know for the 2022 winter solstice event.
Alarm clocks at the ready. ⏰ Only week to go until our live stream of the sunrise from Stonehenge! Visit our Twitter page on the morning of 22 December to tune in.
— Stonehenge (@EH_Stonehenge) December 15, 2022
For information on attending the #WinterSolstice in person, please visit: https://t.co/V1fQsGTKOk pic.twitter.com/C8lIKl29IP
What is the winter solstice?
The winter solstice is caused by the Earth being tilted on its axis, which affects the arc the Sun rises and falls along each day.
Royal Museums Greenwich says: "The winter solstice occurs at the minimum point for the northern hemisphere when the Sun is lowest in the sky.
"At this time, the Earth's North Pole is pointing away from the Sun."
Basically, this means that the northern hemisphere will experience its shortest day in terms of hours of sunlight.
Following this, the days will get longer and the nights will get shorter as we eventually transfer into spring.
Frosty mornings aren’t so bad when you get a sunrise like this. ❄️☀️
— Stonehenge (@EH_Stonehenge) December 9, 2022
📷: @beyondcurated pic.twitter.com/cVqP8kVGQn
When is winter solstice 2022?
Royal Museums Greenwich states that the winter solstice will occur at 9.48pm on Wednesday, December 21.
The Stonehenge event will take place in the morning on Thursday, December 22, where entry to the monument will be allowed from approximately 7.45am until 10am.
A live stream of the sun rising on Thursday morning will be shown on the English Heritage YouTube channel from 7am.
Why do people go to Stonehenge for winter solstice?
Royal Museums Greenwich states that one reason people visit Stonehenge for the winter solstice is that you can "glimpse the sun’s rays through the stones which are lined up with the path of the sun".
They add: "While both solstices are celebrated by modern day religions and tourists alike, the ancient civilisation that first built the monument most likely did so primarily for the winter solstice, perhaps to request a good growing season in the year to come."
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