SUNWHEEL GATHERING INFORMATION

WINTER SOLSTICE -- SUNRISE & SUNSET GATHERINGS AT THE UMASS SUNWHEEL:

• Sunday, December 21, 2025
• Sunrise gathering 7:00 a.m.
• Sunset gathering 3:30 p.m.

The public is invited to observe sunrise and sunset on the day of the winter solstice among the standing stones of the UMass Amherst Sunwheel on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Heavy rain or snow will cancel the gatherings.

The winter solstice occurs when daytime is shortest in the Northern Hemisphere. On this date the sun rises and sets at its most southerly spot along the horizon, over the southeasterly and southwesterly stones in the Sunwheel, respectively. The sun actually reaches its southernmost position at 10:03 a.m. Eastern time on Dec. 21, and then begins moving northward.

At the approximately hour-long gatherings, UMass Amherst astronomer Stephen Schneider will discuss the astronomical cause of the solstice. He will explain the seasonal positions of Earth, the sun and moon, and the design of the Sunwheel and other calendar sites such as the Temple of Karnak in Egypt and at Chankillo in Peru. He will also answer other astronomical questions, such as why the earliest sunset occurs about two weeks before the solstice and the latest sunrise about two weeks later, or why the longest solar day of the year is actually December 22.

If it is clear during the morning session, a telescope will be set up to observe Jupiter. In the evening session a telescope will be set up to safely observe the surface of the sun, and then the crescent moon after sunset.

Sunwheel visitors who stop in on their own will be able to see the sun rising and setting over the winter solstice stones from roughly Dec. 16-26. This is because around the time of the solstice (which means stationary sun) the sun appears to rise at a fixed spot on the southeast horizon and to set in a fixed southwest direction for more than a week.

Location: The UMass Sunwheel is located south of McGuirk Alumni Stadium, just off Rocky Hill Road. The Sunwheel can easily be reached from the center of Amherst, following Amity St. to the west, on the right hand side of the road about 1/4 mile after crossing University Drive.

More Information: For more information on the U.Mass. Sunwheel, click here. For more information on the Moon's 18.6-year cycle, click here. An update giving a list of the most extreme moonrise and moonset positions in 2024-25 will be available in January 2024.

DIRECTIONS TO THE SUNWHEEL:

For directions from out of town, click here.

For a map showing the Sunwheel on the UMass Amherst campus, click here.

DATES OF SUNWHEEL GATHERINGS:

For the dates and times of Sunwheel gatherings, click here.