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Stonehenge and the moon: Exploring a Neolithic monument’s lunar links
Stonehenge is famous for its association with the sun, and particularly with the summer and winter solstices – but did the movement of the moon also influence its design? Carly Hilts spoke to Dr Amanda Chadburn and Dr Heather Sebire about an ongoing project exploring the impact of a once-in-a-generation lunar event.
‘Once in a blue moon’ is a phrase used to express something that happens very rarely. In fact, the phenomenon is not as uncommon as the idiom implies, appearing roughly every 33 months. Rather less frequent, and much less well known, though, is another moon-related event known as a Major Lunar Standstill, which takes place every 18.6 years. While such subjects might sound more astronomical than archaeological, there is an intriguing link with one of Britain’s most famous ancient monuments. Stonehenge is best-known for its solar alignments, attracting huge crowds to witness the interaction of sun and sarsens during the summer and winter solstices. It has also been suggested, however, th
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