7:49am Tuesday 22nd December 2009
By Gazette Reporter
Hundreds of people will descend on Stonehenge today to see the sun rise on the winter solstice.
Pagan and druids will celebrate the shortest day of the year at the mysterious monument with traditional ceremonies.
Members of the public will also visit the site, near Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, hoping to see the sun rise through the ancient stones.
The shortest day of the year often falls on December 21 but this year the druid and pagan community will mark the first day of winter today because the modern calendar of 365 days a year, with an extra day every four years, does not correspond exactly to the solar year of 365.2422 days.
Peter Carson, head of Stonehenge, said: "The winter solstice can actually fall any time between December 20 and 23.
"This year the solstice, the moment when the sun is at its most southerly point, falls after the sun sets on December 21 but that is not the shortest day of the year, today is.
"The sun then stays in a setting position for three days before it travels north which is when the daytime gets longer."
Mr Carson said they can expect up to 1,000 people to visit the stones for the winter solstice.
"We had around 400 people last year, and the year before 2,500, it really depends on the weather and the day of the week," he said.
"Popularity of the winter solstice is growing because the significance of it in relation to Stonehenge is growing as we do more research and excavations.
"There is a better understanding that Stonehenge was a monument more significant at the winter rather than summer solstice."
English Heritage said Stonehenge will open at around 7.30am for people wishing to mark the solstice to have access to the stones for the sun to rise shortly after 8am.
The site will then close at 9am and re-open at its usual visitor time of 9.30am.
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