Stonehenge and Other British Stone Monuments Astronomically Considered - Sir Norman Lockyer

Fig. 41.—The Sight-lines at the Hurlers.

Of the various sight-lines found, those to which I wish to direct attention in the first instance, and which led me to the others, are approximately, reading the azimuths to the nearest degree,

Lat. 50° 31′ N.	Az.
S. circle to central circle	N. 12° E.
Central to N. circle	N. 15° E.
N. circle to tumulus	N. 19° E.

In a preliminary inquiry in anticipation of the necessary local observations with a theodolite, I assumed hills half a degree high, for the reason given on [p. 112]. We have the following declinations approximately:—

Dec.	N.	38¹⁄₂°
„		38°
„		37°

Here, then, we have declinations to work on, but declinations of what star? To endeavour to answer this question I studied the declinations of the three brightest stars in the northern heavens, having approximately the declinations in question some time or other during the period 0 to 2500 B.C.

Vega is ruled out as its declination was too high. The remaining stars Capella and Arcturus may have been observed so far as the declinations go. For time limits we have:—

Dec. N.		Capella.		Arcturus.
38	¹⁄₂°	500	B.C.	1600	B.C.
36	°	1050	„	1150	„

Now there is no question as to which of these two stars we have to deal with, for the northern circle is evidently less ancient than the others, for some of the stones are squared and the others are less irregular than those in the S. circle.