Explanation:
Today the Sun stands still at 05:30 UT.
Halting its steady march toward southern declinations and
begining its annual journey north, the event is known as
a solstice.
In the northern hemisphere
December's solstice marks
the astronomical start of winter.
And if you're in
the Great Basin Desert outside of
Lucin, Utah, USA, near solstice dates you can watch the Sun rise
and set through
Sun Tunnels.
A monumental earthwork by artist Nancy Holt, the Sun Tunnels are
constructed of four 9 foot diameter cast concrete pipes each 18 feet long.
The tunnels are arranged in a wide X
to achieve the solstitial sunset and sunrise alignments.
In this dramatic snapshot through a Sun Tunnel
the Sun is just on the horizon.
The cold, cloudy sunset was near the
2010 winter solstice.
During daylight hours, holes in the sides of the pipes
project spots of sunlight on their interior walls,
forming a map of the principal stars in the
constellations
Draco, Perseus, Columba, and Capricorn.
Fans of planet
earthworks and
celestial landart
should note that the Sun Tunnels are about 150 miles by car from
Robert Smithson's (Holt's late husband)
Spiral Jetty.
