Sea Stacs : what are they and why are they?

[Mick Harper]

This is the Geat Circle line between British and German Stonehenges. It looks close to Margate (over the E in Dover for geographical ignorami) but I dunno if it really is. Could real navigators maybe check? By the way this pic will disappear soon so could somebody with more software skills than me make it permanent?

[Boreades]

I'd be delighted if someone could produce a functional reason why Stonehenge and Goseck are at virtually the same lattitude. There is another Internet Twylight Zone on angles of the Pyramids in Egypt, but I'm hoping to avoid that.

[Donna]

I'd be delighted if someone could produce a functional reason why Stonehenge and Goseck are at virtually the same lattitude.

It's the 51st latitude. We've covered the observational properties already I think, or Jon has.

[Boreades]

I'd be delighted if someone could produce a functional reason why Stonehenge and Goseck are at virtually the same lattitude.

It's the 51st latitude. We've covered the observational properties already I think, or Jon has.

Yes, but why?

[Maribel]

This latitude is said to produce an unusual phenomenon when sun patterns are measured. Two sighting poles that mark the east/west axis (sighted on solstices) create a (sun rise/set) shadow pattern that is unique in that the shadows on the solstices create exact 90 degree angles and the shadows on equinoxes are exactly parallel.

[It would be interesting to know how deep the shell grotto is. It seems to be a one-off, but then so was Monument.]

[hvered]

This is the Geat Circle line between British and German Stonehenges. It looks close to Margate (over the E in Dover for geographical ignorami) but I dunno if it really is.

The line from Stonehenge to Goseck passes exactly through Ramsgate. This is where those savvy Vikings are said to have landed, Pegwell Bay or thereabouts.

[Royston]

Interesting the line goes through Antwerp, a wharf or bank in the exact right place. There are the usual arguments over its etymology but this (in Wiki) sounds about right:

Aan 't werp (at the warp) is also possible. This 'warp' (thrown ground) would be a man-made hill, just high enough to remain dry at high tide, whereupon a farm would be built. Another word for werp is pol (hence polders).

[Boreades]

This latitude is said to produce an unusual phenomenon when sun patterns are measured. Two sighting poles that mark the east/west axis (sighted on solstices) create a (sun rise/set) shadow pattern that is unique in that the shadows on the solstices create exact 90 degree angles and the shadows on equinoxes are exactly parallel.

I think I said something similar, and Jon said it's a myth. :-(
If so, what other reason can we find for this latitude being special?

[Mick Harper]

Didn't dividing the earth's circumference into sevenths have something to do with it?

[Iona]

Sixths are easier to work with than sevenths, interestingly, toll houses were most commonly hexagonal. The assumption seems to be this was so all directions were visible though a round house would probably have been better suited for that purpose.

Nature may prefer sixths to sevenths. Aren't sea stacs often hexagonal.

The Cathedral Rocks, Great Blasket island -- the most westerly point of Ireland just off the mainland (blasket was also written brasket, seems to be connected with 'break-water')