The fog crept in as we awaited the appearance of the Sun before sunrise on the day of the Summer Solstice -- June 21, 2010.
Visitors at the sunrise gathering face NE in preparation for seeing the rising Sun. Behind them in the sky and opposite the Sun is the Earth's shadow, that deep grey color just above the hills on the horizon with the pink hue above it. The Earth's shadow is visible to us ~15 minutes before sunrise (in the West) and after sunset (in the East) by being projected onto the Earth's atmosphere.
Visitors stand and watch the stone marking the location where the rising Sun will appear. Notice that the deep grey color of the Earth's shadow in the previous photo has now disappeared (the shadow has set) as the sky lightens and the Sun gets ready to rise.
Shadows of the visitors assembled for the Summer Solstice sunrise.
The Summer Solstice sunset gathering begins with clear skies and 80 degree temperatures -- perfect weather for the event.
There was quite a crowd gathered for sunset.
Explaining the tilt of the Moon's orbit around the Earth.
And explaining the Moon's 18.6-year cycle.
Visitors ask a wide variety of questions.
Children do their favorite thing -- play and climb on the rocks.
Visitors learn the astronomy of the Solstice.
A globe is used to illustrate the Earth's revolution around the Sun with a tilted axis.
The shadows of visitors begin to lengthen.
A cute 4-legged visitor to the Sunwheel.
Staying cool in the shadow of a standing stone.
Pointing to the path of the Sun in the sky on the Summer Solstice.
Shadows lengthen as the Sun lowers in the sky.
The setting Sun behind the Summer Solstice Sunset stone.
About 15 minutes after sunset we were treated to a pillar of light (pale pink in color and perpendicular to the horizon, just to the right of the center of the photograph).
