Pagans Flock to Stonehenge Solstice

Thousands of New Agers and neo-pagans danced and whooped in delight this morning as a bright early morning sun rose above the ancient stone circle Stonehenge, marking the summer solstice. About 20,000 alternative-minded revelers crowded the prehistoric site in southern England to see the 4:52am (11:52pm ET) sunrise, following an annual all-night party. They waited for dawn at the Heel Stone, a pockmarked pillar just outside the main circle that aligns with the rising sun.

Unlike previous recent years, when the sunrise has been obscured by cloud, the bright sun bathed the monument in orange and gold today. As the sun rose, a woman climbed a rock in the circle center and blew a horn, welcoming in the longest day of the year north of the equator. Drums, tambourines, and cheers reverberated in the background. "One time in maybe 10 we get a decent sunrise," said a volunteer for English Heritage, which manages the site, "and that was a good one." (More Stonehenge stories.)