Stonehenge and the summer solstice
6/16/202630 min
Coming up, we explore the summer solstice and its enduring connection with Stonehenge. Larissa Palethorpe at the University of Bristol explains the astronomical significance of the summer solstice; Jennifer Wexler at English Heritage on the origins of Stonehenge; Richard Bevins at the University of Aberystwyth on the geology of the famous stones; and Vincent Gaffney at the University of Bradford on whether Stonehenge is part of a much broader landscape. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists
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First 90 secondsChris Smith· Host0:02
All engine running.
Speaker 20:03
[laughs] Absolute genius.
Chris Smith· Host0:04
Get this. Welcome. Welcome. [laughs] This is a show where we bring you- Science- What that essentially means is- Discovery- Advances ... questions- Research- Technology Unbelievable. Without further ado- This is The Naked Scientists. Hello. Welcome to The Naked Scientists podcast, the program that brings you the biggest breakthroughs and talks to the major movers and shakers in the worlds of science, technology, and medicine. I'm Chris Smith, and today, the summer solstice and the astronomical, cultural, and archaeological significance of what's regarded as one of the ancient wonders of the world, Stonehenge. [upbeat music] On the 21st of June, the Northern Hemisphere experiences its summer solstice, the official start of astronomical summer, and also the longest day of the year. The term solstice comes from the Latin word sol, which means sun, and sistere, which is to stand still. This represents the brief pause in the sun's apparent north to south rise and set locations. It is an astronomical wonder, but what actually is the science behind it? Well, Larissa Pailthorpe is an astrophysicist at the University of Bristol, and she's been telling me.
Larissa Pailthorpe· Guest1:20
So the summer solstice is the moment when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted most directly towards the sun, and it marks the longest day of the year, the shortest night of the year, and the sun's