Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2025 December 22
    [2]The sun is setting across a field in a clear sky. In the field are
    the famous stones of Stonehenge. The Sun peaks out from the center of
        the stone array. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                       Sunset Solstice over Stonehenge
         Image Credit & Copyright: [3]English Heritage, [4]Josh Dury

   Explanation: Yesterday the Sun reached its southernmost point in planet
   Earth's sky. Called a [5]solstice, many cultures mark yesterday's date
   as a change of seasons -- from autumn to winter in [6]Earth's Northern
   Hemisphere and from spring to summer in Earth's [7]Southern Hemisphere.
   The featured image was taken just before the [8]longest night of the
   2025 northern year at [9]Stonehenge in [10]United Kingdom. There,
   through [11]stones precisely placed 4,500 years ago, a 4.5 billion year
   old [12]large glowing orb is seen setting. Even given the
   [13]precession of the Earth's rotational axis over the millennia, the
   [14]Sun continues to [15]set over [16]Stonehenge in an
   [17]astronomically significant way.

                    Tomorrow's picture: strange lightning
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [29]Robert Nemiroff ([30]MTU) & [31]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([32]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [33]Specific rights apply.
            [34]NASA Web Privacy, [35]Accessibility, [36]Notices;
                A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC,
                         [40]NASA Science Activation
                           & [41]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/StonehengeSolstice_Dury_3558.jpg
   3. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
   4. https://www.joshduryphoto-media.com/
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070325.html
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap021222.html
   8. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/funny-cat-tired-boring-lying-260nw-1447517609.jpg
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge
  10. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/united-kingdom/
  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6oxmxPKoSE
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
  13. https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/earths-orbital-precession-541/
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250316.html
  15. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/things-to-do/solstice/
  16. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/Stonehenge
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeoastronomy_and_Stonehenge
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251221.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  24. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  27. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251222
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251223.html
  29. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  32. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  40. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  41. http://www.mtu.edu/