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Lunar eclipse and winter solstice at Newgrange

Ancient Celtic burial ground witness to history

CATHY HAYES,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 7:44 AM

Updated Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 9:57 AM

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Light entering the chamber at Newgrange

Photo by The_Irish_Times

On this morning of December 21st 2010 County Meath’s Newgrange became a site of historic importance in celestial terms when a lunar eclipse and the winter equinox coincided. Not since the Tudor’s times, 450 years ago, has such an event occurred.

Unfortunately the cloud on Tuesday morning stopped the winter sunlight from flooding the chamber at the passage tomb. It was thought that the passage would fill with both sun and moon light on the morning of the winter solstice. However, the magic of the event was not lost on the thousands who gazed skyward to witness the lunar eclipse.

Millions of people across the world gazed skyward to catch a glimpse of the first lunar eclipse for almost three years. The eclipse became at about 7.40 and the mid-eclipse began at 8.17am. In some locations in Northern Ireland a total eclipse was visible.

According to the Irish Astronomical Association the next lunar eclipse in Ireland will not take place until 2015.

At Newgrange, since 2000, the tickets to attend the winter solstice have been distributed by a free lottery system. This year 25,000 people applied. Only 10 people received tickets and each can bring a guest. Those lucky enough to attend this year include people from Ireland, the U.S, Britain, Sweden and the Czech Republic.

Although this year the clouds prevented the dramatic sunlight filled passage at Newgrange, those lucky few who have witnessed it know how magical it is and never forget the amazing vision.

Newgrange is a prehistoric passage tomb covered by a grassy mound. It was build 5,200 years ago making it about 200 years older than the Pyramids in Egypt. Although it’s difficult to estimate how long it would have taken to build the monument it did tell experts a great deal about the people at the time.

Professor George Eogan told the BBC “They were a very sophisticated society with a sound economic base as they were able to divert a large number of people to the building of passage tombs...The ritual of the dead was very important in their lives and the site combines engineering, architectural and artistic skills."

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Portia777 | Dec 26, 2010, 10:29 AM EST

Why has the 13th moon been hidden from us at Newgrange.? What is to be gained by suppressing the creational principle of Mother Nature?"without placing the Thirteenth Moon back into our consciousness, we remain absolutely trapped in the complexification of form. With the 13th we have the transcendence and also the circulation of time."

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Portia777 | Dec 26, 2010, 10:26 AM EST

RedBranch , when the Celts etc came to our shores with their violent ways, the Forgotten Ones disappeared because the vibration lowered too much for them to survive in 3D.this has happened in other parts of the world too, as you know.

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Portia777 | Dec 26, 2010, 10:22 AM EST

Bru Na Boinne is pre celtic.it was built by the long forgotten race. It is also built in synch with mother nature, hence the equinox and the 13 moon stones- as there are 13 moons in a year. Well there was until the Vatican Gregorian calandar was introduced with the time is money ethic. That is why the 13 moonstones were removed from the site in about 1993.Now we are waking up more and more and Bru Na Boinne is reminding us each year in her own way.

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Monsoonman | Dec 23, 2010, 01:10 PM EST

Same to ye Searlit!...and all of me Bros. & Seesters! Mele Kalikimaka!

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Searlit | Dec 22, 2010, 01:00 PM EST

Monsoonman, nice post, Hale Bop was amazing and unexpected. The aurora borealis can be spectacular and mesmerizing. I saw it once that way at a campground on the Maine/New Hampshire border. I saw the lunar eclipse, but it was through a haze, so I couldn't see the beautiful copper color. It was phenomenal though. I think it's possible to be in awe of each other, here on earth, since we are made of the same elements as the stars. Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Whatever, enjoy!

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Monsoonman | Dec 22, 2010, 12:30 AM EST

My commercial pilot friend flew his aircraft during the entire eclipse out here in the western US. He said it was the most awe inspiring sight he has ever seen in his years of flight...That's saying something...I would have to include Hale Bop in a category of its own as an awe inspiring celestial sight, the aurora borealis is intriguing.

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jacersagain | Dec 21, 2010, 10:12 PM EST

Brilliant post by RedBranch @12.16. It had me ROTFLOLBMHATW. *Aside* - Newgrange is my favourite place in Ireland to bring American friends to visit. Even if you miss the actual event on 21st December in any year, the sun has enough to offer each day either side of that date. When my Irish-American friends visit in summer, they are not disappointed either - the Newgrange Interprative Centre has a realistic re-creation of the event for all to see and enjoy. You can also see a similar ancient stone creation that uses the sun's early rising on the 21st December on the island of Malta.

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Searlit | Dec 21, 2010, 02:58 PM EST

Helen Watanabe Kelly's description is great, being in the chamber at Newgrange is a thrill at anytime of year. How special to be the first moderns to view the actual winter solstice phenomenom there. I would say 450 years ago was the time of Shane O'Neill of Ulster, the O'conors of Offaly and the O'Mores of Leix.

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TomonaD | Dec 21, 2010, 01:52 PM EST

"It was thought that the passage would fill with both sun and moon light on the morning of the winter solstice." It was an expectation that was bound to be disappointed.The point about a lunar eclipse us that the sun and moon are on opposite sides of the earth.

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moarts51 | Dec 21, 2010, 01:12 PM EST

VERY interesting and well written. I love the daughter's description of the experience. Thanks !

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RedBranch | Dec 21, 2010, 12:16 PM EST

'Ancient Celtic burial ground' ...I think not, Newgrange as we all learnt in national school was Neolithic i.e. New Stone Age, Celts were a fractious blow in much later. That may also answer Sir Peter's point about where the 'real' Irish (as in First People natives) went, it looks like they were wiped out without trace by the Celts(other than their magnificent megalithic marvels). I am surprised by SirPeters concern about the use of the commonly acknowledged term 'Tudor', especially by one who so willingly uses a 'handle' reminiscent of a member of the Order of Bath.

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IrishCanuck | Dec 21, 2010, 12:12 PM EST

Another cool reason that I would like to be living on the Emerald Isle. My wife and I were at Newgrange in 2006 it is a cool place. It is sad that the weather wasn't better because it would have been truly spectacular.

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fromGort | Dec 21, 2010, 12:08 PM EST

The full eclipse was beautiful on the Colorado (USA) plains. And spanned across midnight, another wonderous alignment of time.

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beachline | Dec 21, 2010, 11:25 AM EST

This is another example of the wonderful things the Irish people can do without interference from other countries. However, CATHY HAYES--couldn't you find an Irish time line reference instead of "Tudor Times" ??

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antoman | Dec 21, 2010, 11:05 AM EST

The rest of the year its used as a portal to travel back in time to capture dinosaurs for consumption.Them cows and sheep people see in fields are nought but ornaments for tourists to look.Sure they are gonna die out anyway.

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