The media has, this week, been running a story about the upcoming Major Lunar Standstill – an event that only occurs only 18.6 years – discussing how academics from a variety of institutions are planning to carry out observations to see if Stonehenge has any alignments to the Moon.
One quote from an article in The Guardian’s piece on this topic says:
“It is also possible that four “station stones” forming a rectangle at the site – two of which are still standing – may have been positioned to mark the major lunar standstill.”
Not a single mention is made, in either this article or in any of the others that have appeared, of the two people who first proposed this hypothesis over 60 years ago – Professor of Astronomy at Boston University, Gerald Hawkins, and amateur astronomer C. A. “Peter” Newham, a retired Group General Manager of the North Eastern Gas Board.
Working independently, and unknown to each other, they each suggested that the long sides of the Station Stone Rectangle at Stonehenge was aligned to the extremest possible southerly Moonrise and northerly Moonset positions on the SE and NW horizons.
Newham’s idea was first reported in a newspaper article about his work which appeared in the 16th March 1963 edition of the Yorkshire Post.
“The first remarkable discovery he made was that a line drawn from mound 94 to 91 would appear to coincide with the point on the horizon where the moon rises at its most southerly point during its 19-year cycle. Conversely, the line from 92 to 93 marks the moonset at its most Northerly setting point.”
Hawkins’ identical realisation was first published in his paper “Stonehenge Decoded” in the journal “Nature” vol 200, 26th October 1963.
It is fascinating that these two individuals arrived at the same conclusion, publishing mere months apart, having never previously corresponded or met with each other. Subsequently, of course, they became very aware of their fellow megalithomaniac and both contributed papers to Nature in the succeeding years.
Prof. Richard Atkinson, the acknowledged authority on all matters Stonehengey at the time, had a clear fondness and respect for Peter Newham in stark contrast to his antipathy towards Gerald Hawkins. He lambasted Hawkins’ work in a letter to Antiquity in 1966 entitled “Moonshine on Stonehenge”, but wrote a touching obituary for Newham following Peter’s death in April 1974 saying:
“He was also the first to give a detailed analysis and interpretation of the enigmatic array of postholes on the entrance causeway of the circular earthwork; and the first again to provide an astronomical explanation of the three huge postholes found during the extension of the Stonehenge car-park in 1966. For this and for much else besides he will be remembered with affection and gratitude.”
Gerald Hawkins’ insights continue to be unfairly decried in the official story as told in the new Stonehenge Visitor Centre exhibition, but Peter Newham doesn’t even rate a mention – although his excellent little book “The Astronomical Significance of Stonehenge” used to be stocked in the gift shop at the old site and was extremely popular.
As the Major Lunar Standstill of 2024/5 approaches, we should take the chance to remember Peter as one of those gifted amateurs who – by dint of keen observations made by an enquiring mind – recovered some of the lost understanding of this enigmatic monument’s purpose.
Major Standstill Southernmost Moonrise having just risen over Station Stone 91
as seen from the position of Station Stone 94 on 9th July 2006
© Simon Banton
GUEST BLOGGER: SIMON BANTON
RELEVANT LINKS:
Rare lunar event to shed light on Stonehenge’s links to the moon – THE GUARDIAN
Were Stonehenge’s Builders Guided by the Moon? – SMITHSONIAN MAG
Tours of Stonehenge with local guided experts – STONEHENGE GUIDED TOURS
Stonehenge may have aligned with the Moon as well as the Sun – THE CONVERSATION
Mysterious secret behind Stonehenge could be ‘linked to the moon’ say scientists – THE MIRROR
Bid to shed light on whether Moon could have influenced – THE STANDARD
Stonehenge Walking Tours – STONEHENGE TOUR COMPANY
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