Summer solstice at Stonehenge available for live streaming around the world

LONDON -- The conservation charity English Heritage has set up a virtual live stream from inside the monument of Stonehenge to mark the start of the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.

Celebrating summer around the world

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The Summer season is here! And with its arrival comes longer, hotter days, scenes of watersports fun and cool treats to eat.</br></br>People relax in a pool in Zalakaros, Hungary, Aug. 12, 2019.

Gyorgy Varga/AP

An estimated 10,000 people gathered to check out the sunrise from Stonehenge, according to police.

The Stonehenge Skyscape project allows viewers inside the stone circle to track the position of the sun from the break of day all the way through the night. After dark, the photographic depiction of the sky will be replaced by a computer-generated model, allowing viewers to see the exact location of the stars and planets in the night sky.

"Stonehenge was built to align with the sun, and to Neolithic people, the skies were arguably as important as the surrounding landscape," Susan Greaney, English heritage senior historian, said in a statement. "At solstice we remember the changing daylight hours, but the changing seasons, cycles of the Moon and movements of the sun are likely to have underpinned many practical and spiritual aspects of Neolithic life."

She added, "Stonehenge’s connection with the skies is a crucial part of understanding the monument today and we are really excited to share this view online with people all over the world."