Seasonal Programs
A Calendar Written on the Horizon
The UMass Amherst Sunwheel is a circle of standing stones that marks the changing seasons. Stand at its center and look toward the horizon in different directions: the stones mark precisely where the Sun rises and sets at the solstices and equinoxes.
Near the spring and fall equinoxes, the Sun rises close to due east and sets close to due west. At the summer solstice, it rises and sets over the furthest north stones while at the winter solstice, the furthest south stones. Come visit at different times of year to see these shifting positions for yourself and follow the seasons along the horizon.
The diagram to the right shows the sunrise and sunset directions viewed from above, with a visitor at the center of the Sunwheel. Summer-solstice sunrise is to the northeast and sunset to the northwest. Winter-solstice sunrise is to the southeast and sunset to the southwest. Equinox sunrise and sunset are nearly due east and west.
Visit, Look, and Learn
Judith S. Young and the story of the Sunwheel
Professor Judith S. Young conceived and led the Sunwheel project as an outdoor place where students, school groups, and the wider public could learn astronomy by observing the sky together. Her persistence carried the idea from careful observations in the 1990s to the permanent stone circle, and her teaching shaped the gatherings that continue today.
