SUNWHEEL GATHERING INFORMATION

VERNAL EQUINOX 2008 -- SUNSET GATHERINGS AT THE U.MASS. SUNWHEEL:

• Thursday & Friday, March 20 & 21, 2008
• 6:00 p.m. (EST) both days

You are invited to witness the passing of the seasons by joining Dr. Judith Young of the U.Mass. Dept. of Astronomy to watch the Sun set over the tall standing stones in the U.Mass. Sunwheel for the VERNAL EQUINOX of 2008. The sunset events will be held at 6:00 p.m. EDT on both THURSDAY & FRIDAY, March 20 & 21, 2008. These events will not only celebrate the Vernal Equinox, which occurs at 1:48 a.m. EDT March 20, but the events also mark 10 years of Sunwheel gatherings. During the past decade, over 8,000 members of the public have attended the seasonal Sunwheel events, and over 25,000 people have visited the Sunwheel.

For those interested in learning about the sky, there will be a presentation which will include the significance of the equinoxes & solstices, the cause of the seasons & the phases of the Moon, the story of building the Sunwheel, and discussion of other calendar sites around the world, including Stonehenge & Callanish. There will also be an explanation of the Moon's 18.6-year cycle, also called the Major Lunar Standstill. Bring your questions, your curiosity, dress VERY WARMLY, and be prepared for standing on wet, soggy ground. The gatherings typically last an hour. We will be treated to an exceptional sight at sunset on Thursday March 20, since the almost full Moon will rise around 6:30 p.m., just as the Sun is setting, so both the Sun and Moon will be visible in the sky at the same time. (The Full Moon on Friday March 21 will not be visible until well after sunset.)

A $3 donation is requested to help with the cost of the additional stonework and future programming which are planned for the Sunwheel. Sunwheel T-shirts & sweatshirts will also be available for purchase.

In the event of rain, the gatherings will be cancelled.

About the Vernal Equinox:
The Vernal Equinox is the first day of Spring in the northern hemisphere. It is also the day the Sun rises into the sky to be visible for 6 months as seen from the North pole, and the day the Sun disappears from view for 6 months (i.e. sets) as seen from the South pole. On the equinox, any observer located on the Earth's equator will see the Sun pass directly overhead at local noon, and that person will cast no shadow at noon. For all observers on Earth (excluding the North and South poles), the Sun on the equinox rises due East and sets due West, is up for 12 hours and down for 12 hours, illuminating all latitudes. From the Sunwheel here in Amherst, we observe a very beautiful sight as the equinox Sun rises and sets through the stone portals in the East and West directions. This year, the instant of the Vernal Equinox is 1:48 a.m. EDT on the morning of March 20. [To find the dates and times of solstices and equinoxes through the year 2020, click here.]

The UMass Sunwheel is located south of McGuirk Alumni Stadium, just off Rocky Hill Road. The Sunwheel can easily be reached from the center of Amherst, following Amity St. to the west, on the right hand side of the road about 1/4 mile after crossing University Drive. The gatherings are held in all types of weather except rain. In the event of rain, the gatherings will be cancelled.

For more information on the U.Mass. Sunwheel, click here. For more information on the Moon's 18.6-year cycle, click here.

DIRECTIONS TO THE SUNWHEEL:

For directions from out of town, click here.

For a map showing the Sunwheel on the UMass Amherst campus, click here.

DATES OF SUNWHEEL GATHERINGS:

For the dates and times of Sunwheel gatherings, click here.