Summer Solstice Sunrise 21 June 2026

This blog took a while to create - it will be in the book I'm writing. It shows images of the sky for sunrise, midday, sunset and true midnight. The Sun's glare is removed allowing viewers to see what is usually hidden to most. Many star groups have been renamed to give the Magic Beasts of our country's forgotten starlore new expression. 
First Image is of the Sunrise

Note: the Dagda (Orion) carries the Sun in his upright arm / hand for the day and night.  Dagda's hand and the sun are occulting the place where Bealach na Bó Finne  (Milky Way) crosses the ecliptic (the path of the sun, moon and planets). Behind this is M35 a star cluster where new planets are born.  Dagda reached his zenith here in 2012 on Dec 21st... 

Midday on the longest day. Dagda standing tall preceded by Saturn, Mars, Uranus and the Eye of the Bull known as Aldebaran in Taurus (Tarbh). He is followed by Mercury, Jupiter, Venus Crom and the Heart of Cú aka the Hound (Regulus in Leo) and the rising Moon. What a skyscape. 

Behind Dagda's upraised hand holding the Sun is the birthplace of galaxies M35. It is where the Ecliptic crosses the Galactic Equator in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere the equivalent location where the Ecliptic crosses the Galactic Equator we have An Láir Bhán (The White Mare aka Sagittarius). At true Midnight on the longest day/shortest night the White Mare takes the front and center - see picture below.

This is a twilight image with the Sun shine removed - it will still be bright with refracted light until maybe 11:30 or 23:30. Mercury, Jupiter and Venus follow Dagda into the otherworld while invisible to our eyes and so the cycle continues. Our ancestors never really went away - they are in the Realm of Sky above us.

At true midnight it is exactly 12 hours after true midday which is high noon. High Noon is when the Sun is exactly due south and at its highest point in the sky. Usually at 1:26 pm or at 13:26 on a 24 hour clock. At this time we see the star constellation of Sagittarius is due south. We call this constellation An Láir Bhán (the White Mare). It is the time of weaning foals, of beach racing and back in the day probably horse fights too. 
The White Mare is one of Manannan's three totem animals...

Happy Summer Solstice to everyone everywhere - may this longest day bring extra love and light into your world.