Solstice

At Stonehenge on the summer solstice, the sun rises behind the Heel Stone in the north-east part of the horizon and its first rays shine into the heart of Stonehenge.

Observers at Stonehenge at the winter solstice, standing in the enclosure entrance and facing the centre of the stones, can watch the sun set in the south-west part of the horizon.

LIVE! See the skies above Stonehenge

The Skyscape website has been created by English Heritage to enable people around the world to experience the skies above the iconic stone circle, to learn about movements of the sun, moon and planets and to see the solar alignment at Stonehenge

Aside from the technical and informational aspects of Skyscape it’s also our hope that you’ll enjoy it from a more human perspective. We’ve created a webpage which offers a small escape, a pleasant place to visit, to which you can return frequently, even within a single day, and connect with the land, the stones and the skies above.

GO TO SKYSCAPE

Winter Solstice

The stones of Stonehenge have silently marked the winter solstice for thousands of years.

Find out what the winter solstice is and why our ancestors might have built this extraordinary monument

Find out more

Summer Solstice

Find out more about the importance of the solstice axis at Stonehenge and what else we have learnt about the alignment of the stones.

Find out more

Summer Solstice 2022

English Heritage is pleased to provide free Managed Open Access to Stonehenge for Summer Solstice 2022. If you plan on attending in person, please click the link below and read the information carefully. If you would like to watch our live stream of the sunset and sunrise, please follow our Facebook page or subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Summer Solstice Open Access Information