Tribune was first with the news of Stonehenge eclipse

Published: 29 December 2010

THANK you for your kind note on my visit to Stonehenge at dawn on December 21 (People, December 17). As was generally expected, neither the sun nor the moon was visible but my team of technical advisors and I enjoyed the experience of being at the centre of the monument at the moment the moon set. 

Again at the time the moon rose over the Heelstone in the afternoon, visibility was bad but the spectacle of grey stones at dusk against white snow repaid the effort of getting there. Readers might like to know that they can see videos of what happened at YouTube Stonehenge Solstice Eclipse. This site seems to have the earliest description of events taking place at Stonehenge at 19-year intervals.

Stonehenge Solstice Eclipse will be updated to include details of the moon setting at Stonehenge on the winter solstice opposite the rising sun and the moon rising over the Heelstone opposite the setting sun, apparently unnoticed, in 1991, and again on December 20, 2029. There will be events at equinoxes at 19-year intervals.

I believe the Tribune may be congratulated on a national scoop for being first to publish in print details of some of the events on December 21. My reason for saying so is that the BBC seems not to have known before December 21 as it put a solstice article on Newgrange in Ireland on the web but did not mention the totally eclipsed moon setting where the sun sets every summer solstice at Stonehenge. A total eclipse has happened on a winter solstice only once in 500 years.

John Darrah
St Paul’s Road, N1