12/24/2022
Newgrange at Night.
The shortest day is over and a brief glimpse of light appeared in the chamber, much to the delight of the lucky solstice ticket holders who were inside to witness it.
Here, in the northern hemisphere, we have now entered the longest night of the year.
I've been very fortunate to have spent quite some time at Newgrange at night, thanks to the extraordinary dedication and enthusiasm of Clare Tuffy, recently retired, and the OPW staff at Brú na Bóinne. They have protected and presented the site to the public for decades and host countless people, not only on the mornings around the solstice, but throughout the year. Thank you all for the excellent work you do!
Of the many night time photographs I have taken at Newgrange, this one is my favourite. The star trails were captured over a 70 minute timespan. The stars appear to rotate around a single star; Polaris, or the polestar, which remains fixed in position in the top right corner of the photograph.
In the foreground, Kerbstone 1 stands directly in front of the entrance. This stone is one of the greatest achievements in European Neolithic art. The integrated spirals and lozenges are arranged either side of the vertical groove which marks the axis of the entire monument. On the directly opposite side of the mound, an equally accomplished kerbstone, number 52, also has a vertical groove in the centre of the outer face and across the top.
From tonight, the nights will become gradually shorter and the days longer as we look forward to Spring.