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Classic · Moon

Callanish 2027: the moon rolling along the hills, dates and times

Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

Next date UTC+1

Callanish, the moon rolling along the hills

What happens

There is no line to hit: what counts is the height. It happens while the moon at culmination is between 0.0° and 4.5°.

Next dates

Local times at the site (Europe/London).

  1. 03:55 UTC+1

    Window 24 April · holds 1 day
    Moon · 89% lit

  2. 02:41 UTC+1

    Window 22–23 May · holds 2 days
    Moon · 97% lit

  3. 01:28 UTC+1

    Window 18–19 June · holds 2 days
    Moon · 100% lit

The moon only swings far enough near a major lunar standstill, which comes round every 18.6 years: the last was in 2025, the next is around 2043. Until then the geometry does not close, and printing a date would mean inventing one.

Where to stand

Viewpoint: Main circle · Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
58.19750, -6.74510

It works across an area around this point, not only from the exact spot.

Good to know

The circles are open and free, unlit at night. The 2024–25 standstill drew big crowds: arrive early and respect the stones.

Here the moon skims the horizon at 2–4 degrees: at that height the atmosphere shifts the image by fractions of a degree and a few steps change what the hills cover. Arrive with time to spare. After 2027 the effect fades until the next major standstill.

Dates for 2026–2030, worked out by Duskbox’s own astronomy engine: the sun from NREL’s SPA, the moon topocentric, both with atmospheric refraction.

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