We will be enjoying 4 more minutes of sun by December 31st :-)
The data for this graph comes from this Sun Rise/Set Table For Everett Washington For 2007 compliments of the The United States Naval Observatory which among other services provides sun rise/set tables.
Careful observers, such as the Neolithic people who built Newgrange over 5000 years ago, could detect that the days started to get longer after the Winter Solstice.
Built around 3200 BC, Newgrange predates Stonehenge (initial construction around 3100 BC) and the Great Pyramid of Giza (initial construction around 2580 BC)
The webcast for the Newgrange Winter Solstice 2007 is really good if you want to know more about the structure and see some video of the beautiful Irish countryside.
The people who built Newgrange had astronomy in mind when they built the roof box, passageway and inner chamber that is illuminated at the Winter Solstice. The purpose of Stonehenge on the other hand, although loosely connected to the position of the sun on the Summer Solstice, remains an enigma.
