Credit & Copyright: Clive Ruggles
Explanation:
Stonehenge consists of large carved stones
assembled about 4000 years ago.
Long before modern England was established, ancient inhabitants
somehow moved 25 ton rocks nearly 20 miles to complete it.
From similar constructs of the era, people could learn the time
of year by watching how the
Sun and
Moon rose and set relative to
accurately placed stones and pits.
The placement of the boulders at
Stonehenge, however, is not impressively
accurate by today's standards, nor even by the standards of that time.
Therefore, modern scholars interpret Stonehenge
as a colossal monument to the
Sun in celebration
of the predictability of the
seasons.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day