Ancient peoples had the benefit of dark skies and experienced the full spectacle of the starry heavens. The Moon gave light at night and would have been particularly useful in the two weeks centred on full Moon. The regular monthly cycle of lunar phases provided a convenient measure of time, upon which many ancient calendars were based.
Was it a Neolithic calendar? A solar temple? A lunar observatory? A calculating device for predicting eclipses? Or perhaps a combination of more than one of these? In recent years
Stonehenge has become the very icon of ancient astronomy, featuring in nearly every discussion on the subject.
A more informed picture has been obtained in recent years by combining evidence from archaeology and astronomy within the new interdiscipline of archaeoastronomy – the
study of beliefs and practices concerning the sky in the past and the uses to which people’s knowledge of the skies were put.
2017 Lunar / Moon phases.
| First quarter | 5 January 2017 | 19:47:41 |
| Full moon | 12 January 2017 | 11:35:12 |
| Last quarter | 19 January 2017 | 22:14:21 |
| New moon | 28 January 2017 | 00:08:19 |
| First quarter | 4 February 2017 | 04:19:47 |
| Full moon | 11 February 2017 | 00:33:58 |
| Last quarter | 18 February 2017 | 19:35:13 |
| New moon | 26 February 2017 | 15:00:15 |
| First quarter | 5 March 2017 | 11:33:38 |
| Full moon | 12 March 2017 | 14:54:49 |
| Last quarter | 20 March 2017 | 16:01:29 |
| New moon | 28 March 2017 | 03:59:26 |
| First quarter | 3 April 2017 | 19:40:54 |
| Full moon | 11 April 2017 | 07:09:17 |
| Last quarter | 19 April 2017 | 11:00:05 |
| New moon | 26 April 2017 | 13:18:11 |
| First quarter | 3 May 2017 | 03:48:10 |
| Full moon | 10 May 2017 | 22:43:56 |
| Last quarter | 19 May 2017 | 01:35:36 |
| New moon | 25 May 2017 | 20:46:22 |
| First quarter | 1 June 2017 | 13:43:00 |
| Full moon | 9 June 2017 | 14:11:15 |
| Last quarter | 17 June 2017 | 12:35:01 |
| New moon | 24 June 2017 | 03:32:43 |
| First quarter | 1 July 2017 | 01:51:47 |
| Full moon | 9 July 2017 | 05:08:31 |
| Last quarter | 16 July 2017 | 20:27:38 |
| New moon | 23 July 2017 | 10:47:26 |
| First quarter | 30 July 2017 | 16:23:57 |
| Full moon | 7 August 2017 | 19:12:47 |
| Last quarter | 15 August 2017 | 02:16:51 |
| New moon | 21 August 2017 | 19:31:34 |
| First quarter | 29 August 2017 | 09:14:19 |
| Full moon | 6 September 2017 | 08:04:55 |
| Last quarter | 13 September 2017 | 07:26:44 |
| New moon | 20 September 2017 | 06:30:46 |
| First quarter | 28 September 2017 | 03:55:09 |
| Full moon | 5 October 2017 | 19:41:56 |
| Last quarter | 12 October 2017 | 13:27:15 |
| New moon | 19 October 2017 | 20:12:38 |
| First quarter | 27 October 2017 | 23:23:17 |
| Full moon | 4 November 2017 | 05:24:29 |
| Last quarter | 10 November 2017 | 20:38:22 |
| New moon | 18 November 2017 | 11:42:52 |
| First quarter | 26 November 2017 | 17:03:28 |
| Full moon | 3 December 2017 | 15:48:30 |
| Last quarter | 10 December 2017 | 07:53:02 |
| New moon | 18 December 2017 | 06:31:29 |
| First quarter | 26 December 2017 | 09:20:24 |
Stonehenge Links:
Astro Moon Calendar shows phases of the Moon each day, astronomical events and astrological forecast for the year.
Stonehenge and Ancient Astronomy. Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site
Stonehenge Full Moon Guided Walking Tours. Explore the landscape with a local historian and astronomer.
The Stonehenge News Blog
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for daily Stonehenge sunset / sunrise / moonrise / moonset times.
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