I will upload more Equinox pictures and video shortly
sponsored by ‘The Stonehenge Tour Company’
Merlin @ Stonehenge
The Stonehenge Stone Circle Website
I will upload more Equinox pictures and video shortly
sponsored by ‘The Stonehenge Tour Company’
Merlin @ Stonehenge
The Stonehenge Stone Circle Website
Tonight’s event will be the closest full moon in almost 20 years
Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies tonight – a full moon of rare size and beauty will rise in the east at sunset.
The natural phenomenon happens when the full Moon coincides with when it travels closest to Earth on its orbit.
‘The last full Moon so big and close to Earth occurred in March of 1993,’ said Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory in Washington DC.
Full Moons vary in size because of the elliptical (or oval) shape of the Moon’s orbit. At its furthest point (the apogee) it is around 252,731miles away from us, but it is only around 226,426miles at its closest point (the perigee).
So nearby perigee moons, like the one we will see tonight, is around 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the moon’s orbit.
However, it will be difficult to detect the change once the moon is high in the sky as the human eye is unble to put it in context without any nearby objects to compare it to.
Therefore the most impressive view of the moon will be seen when it is close to the horizon due to the ‘moon illusion’. It appears larger as you will automatically compare it to the hills and houses nearby.
‘I’d say it’s worth a look and so close to the Spring Equinox‘
Lnks: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1367474/Super-moon-spectacle-light-skies-tomorrow-night-theres-need-worry-lunacy.html#ixzz1H1i0CPkD
Sponsors: The Stonehenge Tour Company
Merlin @ Stonehenge (Happy Equinox)
The Stonehenge Stone Circle Website
The stones have inspired many legends and folklore over the centuries. Much of the folklore seems to try and explain the origin of the circle structure as the work of giants, gods or wizards. It was probably easier to accept this than to believe that a past culture could have better technology.
During the Middle Ages Geoffrey of Monmouth, whose colourful writing have had great influence on British mythology, wrote that the stones were originally brought from Africa to Ireland by a race of giants. They were then transported across the sea by the magic of Merlin during the beginning of the Dark Ages on the request of Ambrosius Aurelianus, who was king of the Britons at the time. They were needed as a monument to the treachery of Hengist, a Saxon leader who killed Prince Vortigern
The heel stone is said to have been thrown by the Devil at a monk who was spying on him between the stones. The stone pinned the unfortunate clergyman to the ground by his heel.
Other folklore suggests that the stones are uncountable, a baker tried to count them by placing a loaf of bread on each stone. He came up with a number but then made the mistake of going through the whole process again, and could never get the sets of numbers to tally.
According to folklore African giants came and settled in Ireland many thousands of years ago, they brought with them a temple of stone from their country and re-erected it in County Kildare.
The stones were renown for their healing properties especially when infused with water, known as the Giant’s Dance they still existed in Ireland long after the giants had died out as a race.
In the 5th Century Merlin brought the stones over from Ireland in ships and with the aid of magic, and erected them on Salisbury Plain. They were to mark the graves of some British nobles who were slaughtered by the invading Saxons under the command of Hengist.
In times gone by it was said that the Devil had made Stonehenge, transporting all of the great stones from the heathen shores of Ireland using his magical powers. He was so proud of this work that he was want to boast about the number of stones to the local populace. In one particularly fine display of pride he bet the residents of nearby Amesbury that no one would be able to count the numerous stones. Many tried but as the Devil belived none was able to count them all accurately. A dozen different totals were arrived at. Then finally a local Friar who had come late to the game sidled up to the Devil and claimed to know the answer. Not unaturally the Devil, sure that he had won asked the Friar to give his answer. The Friar said “More than be counted”. The Devil was so cross at being caught out in the way that he picked up one of the stones and threw it at the Friar. It bounced of the Friars heel which was so hard that it dented the stone and landed upright a short distance away from the circle and so became the “Heel Stone”.
Some say that the stones were a circle of dancing wizards who were turned to stone by the enchantment of another wizard.
Sponsors: The Stonehenge Tour Company
Merlin @ Stonehenge
The Stonehenge Stone Circle News Website
Stonehenge is being scanned using modern laser technology to search for hidden clues about how and why it was built.
All visible faces of the standing and fallen stones, many of which are obscured by lichen, will be surveyed. Some ancient carvings have previously been found on the stones, including a famous Neolithic “dagger”. The survey is already in progress and is expected to finish by the end of March.
“The surfaces of the stones of Stonehenge hold fascinating clues to the past,” said English Heritage archaeologist Dave Batchelor. The team will be looking for ancient “rock art”, but also for more modern graffiti, in a comprehensive survey of the site.
Among those who have left their mark in the stones is “Wren” – thought to be Sir Christopher Wren, the architect who designed London’s St Paul’s Cathedral.
Wren’s family had a home nearby, where he is known to have spent time, adding credibility to the claim.
The new survey will be the most accurate digital model ever for the world famous prehistoric monument, measuring details and irregularities on the stone surfaces to a resolution of 0.5mm.
The previous survey in 1993 was photographic, and only measured to an accuracy of about 2cm.
“This new survey will capture a lot more information on the subtleties of the monument and its surrounding landscape,” said Paul Bryan, head of geospatial surveys at English Heritage.
Laser scanning is also being used to map the earthworks immediately around the stone circle, and the surrounding landscape, as part of a wider project.
English Heritage has proposed a new £25m visitor centre at Stonehenge and closing parts of the A344, which runs just yards away from the landmark.
Government funding was withdrawn last year, but the Heritage Lottery Fund has promised £10m. English Heritage is seeking additional funds and is confident of raising the money it needs
Links: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12688085
Sponsors: The Stonehenge Tour Company
This new survey will no doubt capture a lot more information on the subtleties of the monument – wath this space………..
Merlin @ Stonehenge
The Stonehenge Website
How do you make prehistoric megaliths look even more ominous?
Wait for menacing clouds to loom over and capture the scene in black and white. It worked for Times reader “photomarc,” who shot this moody photo of England’s Stonehenge.
“[On] our last trip to England, my wife and I were caught in some nasty weather,” says the photographer. “I did take this shot before hurrying back to the car!”
Credit: LATimes
Sponsores: Join a ‘special access’ tour at Stonehenge – a unique photograph opportunity – The Stonehenge Tour Company
Merlin @ Stonehenge
The Stonehenge Stone Circle Website
Britain is threatening to withdraw its support for the United Nations agency
Unesco has designated more than 900 cultural and natural world heritage sites and 28 are in the UK including the City of Bath, Stonehenge, Avebury and Dorset and east Devon’s coastline.
Andrew Mitchell, the international development secretary, is expected to reveal tomorrow that aid to about 16 countries will end and that more than half a dozen UN agencies will either lose British help completely, or be warned they face losing it unless they reform.
UNESCO – United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization: an agency of the United Nations that promotes education and communication and the arts
http://whc.unesco.org/
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/UK-pull-funding-heritage-sites/article-3274100-detail/article.html
Sponsors: The Stonehenge Tour Company
Merlin @ Stonehenge and Avebury
The Stonehenge Website