Autumn Equinox Evening Observance
Watch the Sunset Alignment and Try to Catch the Sun!
IMPORTANT: This event will be held as scheduled so as long as the weather is good and there are no further mandates regarding COVID-19. We will be outdoors and avoid standing close together, and we will stand and watch the sunset! If the weather is bad, we will cancel – watch for final updates on the day of the event. The Education Center will NOT be open during this event and there will be no available restroom facilities or place to get warm. Come prepared!
At Kinstone we have a unique alignment visible only at Equinox at sunset. Stand with us and the Enlightenment Stones (Atlas and Lancelot) as the sun aligns to shine through the perforations in Lancelot and cast a line of bright points of light onto Atlas. Come and see!
Come celebrate the last sunset of Summer with us at Kinstone! Join us as we gather to observe the sunset alignment at Kinstone on the eve of the Fall (Autumnal) Equinox. We will gather near the stones known as Lancelot and Atlas for a short opening rite and reading. Sunset is at 7:10pm according to the charts, but is often a little earlier as seen from up on the ridge, so we will begin watching for opportunities to Catch the Sun shortly after the reading at 6:30!
Given fair weather and clear skies as the sun sets in the West, we will witness the light as it passes through the “Wise One” (Lancelot) and enlightens the “World” (Atlas). If the sun light is strong enough and unobstructed by clouds on the horizon, we will see a line of polka-dots on Atlas and a select few folks may be able to “catch the sun” as it aligns with the perforations in the Wise One. Given cloudy weather, we will not see the sunset, but will greet it ceremoniously regardless!
Autumnal Equinox is an astronomically significant solar event. It occurs when the sun is midpoint in its journey from Summer Solstice to Winter Solstice. The sun appears to rise at due east and set at due west. It is traditionally seen as a time of balance. The light of day and the dark of night are equal. It is a harbinger of winter; a time for settling in for the season of rest, rejuvenation and root work.
COST: admission to Kinstone ($5/person) (pay in advance online OR place your cash admission in the Blue Payment Box attached to the Information Sign Board near the parking areas); No Registration Required
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 2021 Time: 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Location: near the stones known as Atlas and Lancelot at Kinstone
If you wish to be given a chance to “catch the sun”, please Contact Us to sign up by sending an email stating “I want to catch the sun” and include your full name, email address and phone number with the subject “Catch the sun”. Guests who have signed up will be called in order of sign-up time – as many as we can get through will be given a chance to be photographed with their hands catching the sun – only if weather and sunset conditions permit the phenomenon to occur! Bring a friend who can be your photographer!
Dress for the weather and wear appropriate footwear, jackets, scarves, hats and gloves! Bring a camp chair or blanket to sit on, for your comfort, if you wish. Be prepared for it to be breezy and cool up here on the ridge! (Most people underestimate the wind and cold.)
This event is outdoors and will be held only in good weather. In light of COVID-19, for everyone’s health and safety, we will NOT gather indoors for any portion of this program and no indoor social time will be offered. If it is raining or overcast, this event will be cancelled.
Cancellations will be posted ONLY on THIS event page and on the corresponding Facebook event page at least one (1) hour before the scheduled start time for this event.
HAPPY AUTUMN!
Interesting fact: The exact time of the astronomical Autumnal Equinox is Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 2:21pm CDT.
