THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES TO BE WHEN SPRING ARRIVES

The joys of new life each Spring, with tender buds and ephemeral blossoms, with soft downy babies and warm breezes, with rainbows glinting off of seasonal rains -- all are all owed to one thing: the straight-on alignment of the earth and sun. Ancient people figured this out many thousands of years ago.

Known as the vernal equinox, the point in time when winter transitions to spring, this moment happens when the sun's direct rays cross over the Earth's equator from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere. There is no relative tilt, but rather Earth’s axis is perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the Earth and the sun.

During the vernal equinox, this year happening on March 20 at 6:28 a.m. EDT, there are equal hours of daylight and darkness. At this moment, the sun shines directly over the earth's equator, showering each hemisphere in equal amounts of sunlight. Daylight hours = nighttime hours at autumnal equinox too.

Ancient astronomers and architects designed buildings that could both visually and spiritually capture the moments of each equinox and solstice. Check out some you can visit now below.

STONEHENGE -- ENGLAND

Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, England, is the most famous monument designed to connect with the equinox and other astronomical events. Archaeologists estimate it was constructed between 3000 BC to 2000 BC.

This prehistoric complex includes several hundred ancient burial mounds. Deposits containing human bone date from as early as 3000 BC.

But Stonehenge’s most prominent feature is a ring of standing boulders. Radiocarbon dating suggests they were placed between 2400 BC and 2000 BC. The design serves as a celestial observatory and prediction tool, enabling ancient people to anticipate the coming of spring, summer, winter, and fall.

The site and its surroundings are on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. During the equinox, you can join the druids, pagans, and other spiritual practitioners at dawn, watching the sunrise light up the stone monoliths and signal the beginning of a beautiful Spring.

EL CASTILLO, CHICHÉN ITZÁ -- MEXICO

El Castillo, (aka Pyramid of Kukulkán) rises high from the center of Chichen Itza, an ancient Mayan site, in Mexico. It was built around 1000 AD, with a genius design, both as device to mark the calendar and as a temple to the feathered snake god.

At the equinox sunset, light hits the pyramid at an angle, casting a moving shadow as the sun sinks down to the horizon. It looks like a giant snake slithering down the pyramid steps.

Check out this timelapse video of the solar alignment during equinoxes.

MNAJDRA -- MALTA

The Mnajdra temples, on Malta, are monuments to equinoxes and solstices.  

Built over the course of 1,000 years, beginning around 3600 BC, this megalithic complex, constructed of coralline limestone, contained a structure that was used as an astronomical calendar site.

As the sun rises, during the Spring equinox, it bisects the entrance to the Lower Temple, shining light through its main passageway, directly into a small shrine.

And when you’re finished roaming through the ruins of this UNESCO World Heritage site, enjoy the many other Spring delights this Mediterranean island has to offer.

ANGKOR WAT -- CAMBODIA

Angkor Wat, in Cambodia, constructed between 1113 and 1150 AD, was designed to interact with astronomical events, including the equinoxes and solstices.

At the Spring equinox, you can stand at the southern edge of the first projection, just in front of the western gate, to watch the sun rise directly over the top of the central tower.

Researchers at the University of Michigan, who analyzed the temple design, point out in the journal Science, the significance of Angkor Wat’s orientation, pointing out that the spring equinox “marks the beginning of the sun’s annual journey, regardless of the exact date of the lunar-solar new year.”

HOVENWEEP CASTLE -- COLORADO & UTAH

Hovenweep Castle, built between 1200 and 1300 AD on what is now the Colorado-Utah border, was part of an ancient Pueblo settlement. The castle was likely built as a solar observatory, as indicated by the small ports which track the movement of the sun.

Interestingly, the equinox port points to the sunrise 4 days after the vernal equinox. Researchers have noted that this design “flaw” probably is attributed to a flawed mathematical formula, counting and halving the number of days between the winter and summer solstices.

Read more about Spring Thaw all this week on BeautifulNow. And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Lucille Pine. “Stonehenge Rainbow.” England.
2. Image: by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. “GOES Satellite Captures Spring Equinox.”
3. Image: by Tauʻolunga. “Ecliptic path.”
4. Image: by Stonehenge Stone Circle. “Stonehenge Midsummer Sunrise.” England.
5. Image: Courtesy of Stonehenge Stone Circle. “Stonehenge VIP Access Tour. Up close and personal at sunrise.” England.
6. Image: Courtesy of Stonehenge Stone Circle. “Stonehenge Midsummer Sunrise.” England.
7. Image: by Daniel Mennerich. “Chichén Itzá MEX - Templo de Kukulkán.” Mexico.
8. Image: by ATSZ56. “Chichen Itza Equinox.” The famous descent of the snake at the temple. Chichen Itza, Mexico.
9. Image: by James Macdonald. “Hagar Qim and Mnajdra.” Malta.
10. Image: by tpholland. “Mnajdra porthole.” Malta.
11. Image: by Dr_Zoidberg. “Mnajdra Megalithic Temple (3600-3200 BC).” Malta.
12. Image: by Mariusz Kluzniak. “Angkor Wat Sunrise.” Cambodia.
13. Image: by Phil. “Phnom Bakheng.” Cambodia.
14. Image: by teizoh. “Sunrise over Angkor Wat. View from the the west pylon corridor side.” Cambodia.
15. Image: by Jimmy Thomas. “Hovenweep Castle.” Utah.
16. Image: by Colin J. McMechan. “Hovenweep.” Utah.
17. Image: by Jacob W. Frank. “Hovenweep Castle at Night Landscape.” Utah. Courtesy of Four Corners School of Outdoor Education.
18. Image: by John Haslam. “Hagar Qim, Neolithic Temple Malta.” Malta.
19. Image: by Garen M. “Field of Poppies at Stonehenge.” England.