Making a Sun Circle

The purpose of tracking the sun is to know where the first visible crescent will appear. Through the year the sun rises and sets in differing locations. If the northern most and southern most positions of sunrise and sunset are marked, one will know where to look for the first visible crescent for each lunation throughout the year. The study of the wonderful calendar/clock that Yahuwah made at creation is a beautiful science.

The sun was made to mark the years and the days. The moon was to show the smaller divisions of the lunations (months) and weeks. Both work together in an orchestrated harmony to reveal the true Sabbath.

There are four points in time throughout the solar year when lunations may be adjusted to keep the seasons in their respective locations: Spring equinox, Summer solstice, Fall equinox and Winter solstice. The two solstices mark the furthest positions of the sun, both north and south. The Summer solstice (June 21) is the longest day of the year with the shortest night. The Winter solstice (December 21) is the shortest day of the year and has the longest night. The equinoxes (March 21 and September 21) mark the mid-point when day and night are equal in length.

Due to the tilt of the earth, the moon rise and set locations may be slightly further north and south than the furthest extremes of the sun’s rise and set points. However, marking the sun gives an approximate location for sighting the crescent moon from one’s own geographical location.

Following is a graphic showing a sun circle. Notice that in the Northern Hemisphere, during the summer the sun rises and sets in the northern sky. In winter, the sun rises and sets in the southern sky. The Southern Hemisphere is opposite. The outer stones are placed in position by sighting past the large center stone. The smaller inner stones are placed by the shadow cast by the larger outer stone at the highest point of the sun on the specific days: equinox or solstices.

A sun circle is a relatively easy-to-make structure. It does not need to be large or complicated. Any location with reasonably visible east and west horizons may be used. If you cannot place stones, notice markers already in place: fence posts, swing sets, trees at a distance, etc. With a written record, the approximate location for sighting the next visible crescent moon may be known.

An example of an ancient sun circle is Stonehenge in England. While later Druids may have used the site in their pagan practices, the site predates the later Druids and was originally intended to be both a solar and lunar calculator. More recently, astronomers have discovered that Stonehenge even accurately predicts solar and lunar eclipses.

Stonehenge

Diagrams and picture courtesy of Dr. J. S. Young, Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.