NASA Captures Analemma over Scotland's Ancient Callanish Stones

Astronomers at NASA have released a stunning image of an analemma, a composite picture of the Sun's position taken over the course of a year, captured over the ancient Callanish Stones in Scotland. The image, composed from photos taken every few days at noon, showcases the figure-8 shape of the analemma, resulting from the Earth's tilted axis and elliptical orbit around the Sun. The Callanish Stones, a stone circle built around 2700 BC, are a prominent feature in the foreground of the image. The solstices mark the top or bottom of the analemma, while equinoxes correspond to its middle points. An equinox is set to occur in two days, marking a change of season celebrated by many cultures. The image was taken near the December solstice, with the Sun appearing near the bottom of the analemma.