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Building A Modern Stonehenge In New Zealand

Posted by timothy on from the where-else dept.

Flexagon writes "Wired News is reporting that a group of astronomy enthusiasts in New Zealand is building its own version of Stonehenge in a little more than a year. Why? "We came up with the idea of Stonehenge because it doesn't matter who you are -- everyone looks at the Pyramids and Stonehenge and structures like that (and asks) who built them, why did they build them?" says Richard Hall, president of the Phoenix Astronomical Society. Yet another reason to book a ticket!"

5 of 235 comments (clear)

  1. Re:New Zealand by mikis · · Score: 4, Informative

    As I understand TFA, this is an attempt to build a working astronomical calendar and explain people what was it used for (I'm shure many believe it was an alien airport, or whatever), and not to build just another Eiffel tower/Keops pyramid/Liberty statue clone.

    "The whole idea of the henge is that people can come out here and learn real basic astronomy, the real foundations of what astronomy is all about," says Richard Hall, the infectiously enthusiastic and indefatigable project manager and president of the Phoenix Astronomical Society, which is building the Kiwi henge.

  2. Already been done, by Sam Hill by zakezuke · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sam hill already built a Stonehenge replica near Goldendale, WA USA. It's near the Mary Hill museum of Art, noted for it's collection of relics from the last czars of Russia... some of the few that didn't burn when the revolution came.

    I believe it was built as a 1st World War memorial rather then to study astrometry.

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  3. Re:What tells you that paganism is "native"? by perly-king-69 · · Score: 3, Informative
    No, paganism is quite clearly linked to northern climates

    Not really. Early Christians described those who worshipped the Roman (and by extension, Greek and Egyptian) gods as being pagan. It's just a word for those who are non-believers. Depends of course, who you believe in though!

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  4. They're not the first by Inigo+Soto · · Score: 4, Informative

    Nebraskans already built a replica of Stonehenge

  5. Aha! That's what they want you to *think* it's for by mwood · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually they are scheming to reconfigure the Earth's axis of rotation for arcane purposes. Why else build it more or less exactly opposite England?

    The two circles are ectoplasmic bearings. When Stonehenge B is up and running, all of the ley lines will snap together through the line between them, the planet will be wrenched into a new and more mystical rotational mode, and astronomers will rule the world! (Hey, it's easier than building a dimensional redistributor -- the tubes are so hard to come by.) :-) for the humor-impaired.