Summer Solstice
Sunday, June 21, 2026
The longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice, marked an annual turning point both today and in the ancient past. After the Summer Solstice, we can expect fair weather, warm afternoons, and all of the fun activities that come with the summer season. In ancient times, the long days of summer were welcomed as they brought about mild temperatures and, hopefully, a bountiful growing season. The Summer Solstice was marked by ancient astronomers around the world and celebrated in many different ways.
Summer Solstice Sunrise
On the earliest morning of the year, the sun rises above the Summer Solstice Sunrise Monolith. This standing stone marks the northernmost point on the horizon where the sun will rise during the course of the year. The sunrise can be observed from two points on the site. From the astronomical center, located in the Main Site, observers have a clear view of the horizon at dawn, though the steep eastern slope of the hill means that the Summer Solstice Sunrise Monolith is not visible from this point. To watch the sun rise directly over the stone, observers must watch the sunrise from a second point on the alignment partway between the Main Site and the monolith, which was marked with an ovular ring of stones. This ring of stones, believed to have been placed in ancient times based on the significant soil accumulation around it, places observers directly on the proper alignment to watch the sun rising over the edge of the Summer Solstice Sunrise Monolith. Ancient solstice observations were likely made from this spot rather than on the Main Site.
The Longest Day
The sun leaves the horizon slowly on the summer solstice, traveling in a shallow arc toward the south as it climbs higher in the sky. Ancient observers, much like people today, would have recognized the prolonged daylight hours of the summer solstice that bring warmth and light to the season. Solar Noon observations were likely made from the Main Site, marking the point where the sun passes through the True South alignment and arrives at its highest point during the day which, on the Summer Solstice, is almost directly overhead.
A Pilgrimage Site
Survey work over the years has revealed many strange patterns in the walls that surround America’s Stonehenge, though the two most prominent may be what look like two stone-lined roads. These pathways curve around the site, with one beginning on the eastern side of the hill and curving toward the Main Site, the other originating at the Main Site and arcing away toward the west. Someone walking these paths from east to west would appear to be following the path of the sun around the Main Site. This has led some researchers to theorize that these paths marked an ancient procession or pilgrimage, where people would travel to the site from the east at sunrise, arriving at the Main Site from the southern alignment, and depart the site toward the setting sun in the west. Ritualistic processions, including marked ceremonial paths, have been found at ancient astronomically-aligned sites around the world.
Summer Solstice Sunset
As the longest day of the year draws to a close, the sun approaches the Summer Solstice Sunset Monolith. Perched on an outcropping of bedrock, this monolith marks the farthest north that the sun will reach on the western horizon. The following day, the sun won’t quite reach this point, and it will begin to recede toward the Equinox, and eventually the Winter Solstice sunset alignments. This moment evokes many emotions, both joy at the coming of the summer season, and sadness at the inevitable passage of time. Today, visitors mark this occasion with song, dance, cheering, and celebration - one cannot help but imagine similar festivities playing out at the same moment thousands of years ago.