Among several large stones arranged on the hill overlooking Weeks Field are two taller stones set vertically, with a narrow slit between them. Some residents, surmising the stones may have been set to align with a solstice, have nicknamed the arrangement Newton Henge. When does it align with the sun?
Architect Curt Lamb, who lives nearby, dispels any notion that the stones were placed long, long ago. Only several years ago, he designed the arrangement and collaborated with Newton’s Department of Public Works to install this work of art. He has confirmed that in his design he did not have any particular astronomical alignment in mind for the two taller stones.
So when does Newton Henge align with the sun? Sunsets are out of consideration because of the nearby trees to the west. But sunrise is a possibility, and Fig City’s research suggests that on a morning between July 22 and July 26, around 6:10AM, the first light of sunrise, over the trees on the eastern side of Weeks Field, should align with the path between the two taller stones. The exact date and the exact time depends on the height of those trees.
Will it be cloudy or clear? Have the trees grown taller? Are our measurements, estimations, and calculations anywhere near correct?