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<ul><li>The <keyword id="2359510" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="summer-solstice">Summer Solstice</keyword> will occur at 3:14 am on June 21 in India. </li><li>It’s the <keyword id="6640507" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="longest-day-of-the-year">longest day of the year</keyword> when the Sun is directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer. </li><li>In India, the Summer Solstice will last for 13 hours and 58 minutes. </li></ul>The June solstice, or the Summer Solstice, is the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere — including India. It traditionally marks the beginning of summer when early dawns kick in, the sunsets are a little later and the nights are short. This year, the Summer Solstice is more special than others with the annular solar eclipse set to occur on June 21 as well — along with International Yoga Day and Music Day as well. <div type="image" title="summersolsticeGIF" msid="76456436" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Earth seasons season from space&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> While the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s also the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. So countries for like Australia and South Africa it marks the beginning of winter. <keyword id="9426267" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="summer-solstice-2020">Summer solstice 2020</keyword> time In the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice is also called the June Solstice. It normally occurs between June 20 and June 22. In India, the Summer Solstice will kick off at 3:14 am on June 21 this year. The day will last as long at 13 hours and 58 minutes. <div type="image" title="summersolstice3" msid="76456469" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;June Solstice vs December Solstice&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Similarly, in the Southern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice occurs in December. It usually falls between December 20 and December 23 — right before Christmas. In temperate regions, like Europe, the Summer Solstice doesn’t mark the beginning of summer but the middle of summer — referred to as ‘midsummer’. What is the Summer Solstice? The Earth isn’t upright, instead, it faces the Sun at an angle of 23.5 degrees. This tilt is how the planet gets its seasons. <div type="image" title="summersolstice1" msid="76456457" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Summer solstice with respect to the Earth&amp;#39;s tilt&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> During the Summer Solstice, the Earth is positioned in such a way that the North Pole is as close to the Sun as it can be — leaving it directly overhead the Tropic of Cancer. It because of this season that it happens at the same time for everyone around the world. In Latin, solstice means “Sun stands still.” The solstice is also when countries in the Northern Hemisphere get the most hours of sunlight in the whole year. It’s not the hottest day of the year The Summer Solstice may be the longest day of the year with the most hours of sunlight, but it’s not necessarily the hottest day of the year. <div type="image" title="summersolstice4" msid="76456501" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Sunrise Solstice at Stonehenge in 2008&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The hottest days are usually in July and August. This is because temperatures aren’t solely dictated by the hours of sunlight, but also by the Earth’s oceans and its atmosphere. So while the planet absorbs a lot of sunlight during the Summer Solstice, it takes several weeks to release it back into the air. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/The-June-solstice-is-almost-here-heres-how-it-works-and-why-it-starts-both-summer-and-winter/articleshow/64531241.cms">The June solstice is almost here - here's how it works and why it starts both summer and winter</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/culture/today-is-the-summer-solstice-here-are-5-cool-things-to-know-about-it/slidelist/52841337.cms">Today is the summer solstice - here are 5 cool things to know about it</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sunsets-dont-happen-later-during-the-summer-heres-why-its-so-confusing/articleshow/59261432.cms">Sunsets don't happen later during the summer - here's why it's so confusing</a>

Summer Solstice — Here’s why June 21 is going to be the longest day of the year in India

<ul><li>On June 21, the summer solstice and the ‘<keyword id="13970" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ring-of-fire">Ring of Fire</keyword>’ <keyword id="6699518" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="solar-eclipse">solar eclipse</keyword> will occur on the same day. </li><li>The last time this happened was in 2001, 19 years ago. In the current lunar cycle, we’re lucky that we shall see 5 solstice solar eclipses in a row. </li><li>Once it resets, there won’t be another solstice summer eclipse for nearly 200 years.</li></ul> For the first time in 19 years, the ‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse and the longest day of summer — the summer solstice — are set to happen at the within the same 24 hours. The rare phenomenon is called a ‘solstice summer eclipse’, and it’s only going to get rarer. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76456386" title="Summer Solstice — Here’s why June 21 is going to be the longest day of the year in India" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The last time this happened was on 21 June 2001. And even then, it was during the total solar eclipse — not an annular solar eclipse which yields the ‘Ring of Fire’. Before that, there was a solar eclipse during the summer solstice of 1982 — and the next is expected to happen on 21 June 2039, with another one in 2058. But after that, a solstice summer eclipse won’t happen for nearly 200 years. <div type="image" title="solsticeeclipse_edited" msid="76481742" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Diamond Ring in the Sun during the Solstice Summer Eclipse of 2001&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The odds of a solstice summer eclipse Solstices occur twice a year — once in each hemisphere. For there to be a solar eclipse, there has to a new moon in the sky, which happens once every 29.53 days. There’s a 3.4% chance that both of those events will occur together. However, for solstice summer eclipse you don’t just need a new moon — you need for the Moon to be in perfect alignment between the Earth and the Sun. For all of the 1900s — the 20th century — there were a lot of 1,237 new moons. However, only 228 of them occurred during a solar eclipse, a mere 18% of all new moons. This means, on average, the odds of a solar eclipse and the solstice occurring on the day are only once every 82 years. So why are we seeing a solstice solar eclipse in only a gap of 19 years? The reason for the discrepancy is the cyclical nature of the universe. The phenomenon of 19-year eclipse cycle is called the ‘Metonic cycle’. For every 19 years that go by, almost 235 lunar months come to pass as well. The keyword being ‘almost’. The 235 lunar months fall short by 72 minutes. When they add up, they push the Earth out of sync with the solstice and the cycle needs to start over. We just happen to be living at a time which is smack in the middle of a lunar cycle that coincides with our annual calendar. If you look before 1982, the last solstice summer eclipse occurred on 22 December 1870 — a gap of more than a century. An entire generation lived and died without ever seeing a solstice summer eclipse. The same holds true if you jump forward in the future. After the solstice summer eclipse of 2058, another won’t occur till 22 December 2242 — that’s a gap of almost 200 years. So we are fortunate enough to see so many solstice summer eclipses in our time, but there’s a long drought coming after that. Once 2058 comes and goes, the solstice summer eclipse won’t be nearly two centuries. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/heres-why-june-21-is-going-to-be-the-longest-day-of-the-year-in-india/articleshow/76456386.cms">Summer Solstice — Here’s why June 21 is going to be the longest day of the year in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/ring-of-fire-solar-eclipse-images-from-the-last-10-years-that-will-inspire-for-whats-to-come-tomorrow/slidelist/76479201.cms">‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse images from the last 10 years that will inspire for what’s to come tomorrow</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/solar-eclipses-in-2020-twice-a-year-that-the-moon-tries-to-block-out-the-sun/articleshow/73130754.cms">Solar eclipses in 2020 — twice a year that the Moon will try to block out the Sun</a>

The ‘Ring of Fire’ solar eclipse and summer solstice are on the same day for the first time 19 years — and they’re only going to get rarer

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="2379" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="California">California</keyword> is bone-dry after a heat-wave hit the state, with water levels dipping to all-time lows.</li><li>Experts say climate change is responsible for what may become the worst <keyword id="46472" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="drought">drought</keyword> the US has seen in 1,200 years.</li><li>In the meantime, the West and South West continues to sizzle - and summer has yet to hit its peak.</li></ul>Residents on the West Coast are in for a miserable, sizzling summer filled with prolonged drought and record-breaking temperatures, say experts. A scientist the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/18/us-heatwave-west-climate-crisis-drought">Guardian</a> spoke to even warned that the US could experience one of the worst droughts in its modern history."This current drought is potentially on track to become the worst that we've seen in at least 1,200 years. And the reason is linked directly to human-caused climate change," Kathleen Johnson, associate professor of Earth system science at the University of California in Irvine, told the Guardian.The projection came just as California's rivers and reservoirs <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-drought-california-dry-lakes-empty-marinas-2021-6">dried up</a> and the state recorded <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/historically-low-california-reservoirs-threaten-power-grid-photos-2021-6">historically low water levels.</a>In particular, if water levels in Lake Oroville, California's second-largest reservoir, continue to dwindle, it could have devastating impacts on the state's power supply. This is because the lake generates energy by flowing through the Edward Hyatt Power Plant. Low water levels may force this power plant to close, leaving around 800,000 homes without energy when wildfire season swings around, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/17/us/california-drought-oroville-power/index.html">CNN.</a>The heatwave hitting California prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/06/17/amid-extreme-heat-wave-stressing-energy-grids-across-western-u-s-governor-newsom-acts-to-increase-energy-capacity/">declare a statewide emergency</a> last week. Newsom <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/6.17.21-Extreme-Heat-proclamation.pdf">called on the state's residents to conserve energy,</a> saying that the heat "has and will continue to put significant demand and strain on California's energy grid."Energy troubles amid the heatwave are also hitting Texas. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-ercot-heat-energy-usage-summer-blackouts-2021-6">many power plants in the state went offline last week</a>, just months after a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/winter-snow-storm-blackout-texas-damages-could-near-50-billion-2021-2">major outage left Texans without heat during in the middle of winter.</a>The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/06/17/heat-wave-southwest-fires-drought/">Washington Post</a> reported on June 18 that more than 40 million Americans saw triple-digit temperatures where they live in the prior week. Temperature records were also broken in Salt Lake City last Tuesday when the weather services measured a high of 107 degrees, <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/06/15/salt-lake-citys-heat-wave/">smashing the area's 147-year record</a> for temperatures in June.What makes the US's weather troubles worse is that summer hasn't even peaked.According to the <a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/warmest-day-of-the-year">National Centers for Environmental Information's</a> archive of temperatures across the US from 1981 to 2010, the amount of sun's rays reaching Earth tends to peak on the summer solstice on June 21. However, the US tends to see warm temperatures increasing into July. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news/summer-2020-ranked-as-one-of-hottest-on-record-for-us">summer of 2020 was one of the hottest ever seen in the US</a>, with August, in particular, being especially "dry and destructive."

The US could be facing its worst drought in 1,200 years, and summer hasn't even reached its peak yet.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Halee Whiting, 32, lives in Rochester, New York, and loves <keyword id="499344" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cruises">cruises</keyword> - she says she's been on 15.</li><li>She's embarking on <keyword id="685819" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Royal-Caribbean">Royal Caribbean</keyword>'s Bahamas <keyword id="3116" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Cruise">cruise</keyword> and is excited to reconnect with cruise buddies.</li><li>She said it was a no-brainer to book the trip. Here's her story, as told to Jamie Killin.</li></ul>I'm taking my first post-pandemic cruise this month out of the Nassau Cruise Port in the Bahamas on the Adventure of the Seas ship - and I'm so excited.The seven-day cruise will stop at Royal Caribbean's private island, Perfect Day at Coco Cay, as well as Grand Bahama Island and Cozumel, Mexico.I love to <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword>, and I know there are a lot of people that think cruising is kind of corny - or young kids are calling it "<a href="https://www.insider.com/what-does-cheugy-mean-explained-rae-dunn-barstool-hype-house-2021-5">cheugy</a>" these days - but I love a cruise. The feeling of just sitting on my balcony and listening to the ocean is everything, and it's such a social experience.<h2>I've probably cruised about 15 times. </h2><div type="image" title="Halee Whiting on the beach in a white dress and sunglasses" height="1079" width="1439" msid="83613665" hostid="261"></div>The majority of my cruises have been on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, but I've also done Carnival and Princess. I've done Alaska, I've done pretty much every inch of the Caribbean, and probably my favorite cruise was on the Celebrity Solstice - I did a repositioning cruise, a cruise that embarks from a different location than where it ends, from Hawaii to Vancouver in May 2019, and that was just amazing. <h2>I had no hesitation booking my cruise, and I think that's partially because I come from the hospitality industry working with hotels. </h2>Some people assume bed bugs started in hotels, but <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-truth-about-bedbugs">they're actually brought in by people</a>, and I think a lot of the sanitation issues aren't just on the cruise line themselves. It requires everyone that's going on them to be respectful and do their part.Getting vaccinated also took a lot of stress off of the situation. Even before COVID-19, on any ship I've ever been on they're just cleaning constantly. I don't really have that concern of getting sick because I think they've put some good procedures in place. They sent emails beforehand with information on their safety precautions as well as how to get tested for COVID-19 prior to boarding. I'm definitely ready.I also have a travel blog, <a href="https://haleewithaflair.com/">Halee with a Flair</a>, on the side, so it made sense for me in a lot of ways.<h2>When COVID-19 hit, it was hard for me. </h2>Since my main career is in the hotel industry, it felt like everything was caving down on me at once. Initially, we didn't think it was going to last as long as it did.My best friend is actually a travel agent who specializes in cruises and all-exclusives, and we were all like, "Okay, we're going to quarantine," but then we booked a Memorial Day cruise thinking by then it would be over.Then that was canceled, and I had two other cruises, one booked for the end of 2020 in the Caribbean with my daughter and one originally booked for the end of March in the Western Mediterranean. I didn't think it was going to be quite as devastating as it was.I ended up being laid off and had to start my own hotel sales consultation company, <a href="https://hospitalitywithaflair.com/">Hospitality with a Flair</a>, which was crazy. <h2>I've met a good chunk of people whom I would call some of my best friends while cruising. </h2>We all hang out, and now we have a travel group on Facebook with 400 people in it. We were all cruising together three times a year in some capacity, so a lot of us haven't seen each other in over a year and a half now, so this is going to kind of be a big homecoming, with 25 of my friends from the group traveling on this cruise.<h2>I'm also super happy that the cruise is letting us pick our own excursions because I try to really pick ones that benefit local people and businesses.</h2><div type="image" title="Halee Whiting standing in front of a sunset in an orange dress" height="808" width="1078" msid="83613669" hostid="261"></div>Two of the port days are at the cruise line's private island, which I've been to twice before, so we don't have a whole lot planned there except for snorkeling and enjoying being on that beautiful island they've built. It's got a lazy river and all kinds of things - it's gorgeous.Then in Cozumel, we're actually renting two Jeeps from a little local rental-car place and driving around to some of our favorite local bars and restaurants and just spending money locally to help get some of the cruise-port islands back on their feet. Cozumel, for example, <a href="https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/cozumel-about-to-break-a-record-for-cruise-ship-visits/">I've read is used to getting more than three-and-a-half million cruise passengers a year</a>, and to go to nothing is hard.I've been at least half a dozen times and just love that island, and the people are wonderful. We might also snorkel a bit too, because I met a guy down there who has a great local company. We're really just trying to give back to this industry that we love. My best friend and I also host a show on Tuesdays that we call "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yciZ2dpUc14">Today in Travel</a>," where we go live on YouTube and Facebook, and one of the things we talk about is if you're going to go on these cruises, just remember how kind and amazing the personnel on these ships are - and that since these ships aren't full, give a little extra if you can. On our cruise, there's only about 1,200 people on board, when capacity is typically 3,900 guests.<h2>I'm very excited for my cruise in August, too: The Celebrity Edge. </h2>I'll be departing from Fort Lauderdale and going to Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. It's a <a href="https://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-ships/celebrity-edge">new class of ship for Celebrity Cruises</a> and a new ship for me to try, and I'm so excited to take my daughter on it because that ship is being captained by Captain Kate, who's one of the first female captains in the cruise industry. It has a new exclusive area called The Retreat Lounge and the Magic Carpet venue that slides up and down the side of the ship. It's just beautiful.For that one, it's not really about the itinerary - it's about the ship.

I'm a 32-year-old who booked 2 cruises this summer. People think they're tacky and dirty, but they're still the best way to vacation.

<a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/78349/the-view-from-the-top">Norman Kuring/NASA/GSFC/Suomi NPP</a>A composite image of Earth from above the North Pole, May 26, 2012.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Leap day is on February 29. A simple <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-animation-drains-oceans-reveals-land-bridges-mountains-2020-1">animation</a> by a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scientist-video-each-planet-spins-one-giant-globe-2019-12">planetary scientist</a> shows how that solves a problem with the way we track time. </li><li>The animation reveals how <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/women-stay-free-hotel-ranga-iceland-leap-day-2020-2">leap years</a> realign our calendars with the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-is-first-day-of-fall-september-equinox-2019-9">equinoxes</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-is-summer-solstice-longest-day-of-year-june-2018-6">solstices</a> to keep up with Earth's changing seasons.</li><li>Without leap years, December would drift into summer in 400 years.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>February 29 comes once every four years for a good reason: Without it, December would eventually drift into summer. A new animation from <a href="https://twitter.com/physicsJ">James O'Donoghue</a>, a planetary scientist at the Japanese space agency (JAXA), illustrates why we need leap years."The way we do leap years is fairly messy looking, but I can't think of a better way to handle them," he told Business Insider in an email. "We do it so our seasons don't migrate over time."O'Donoghue spends his free time making animations of astronomy concepts like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-moon-drifts-away-earth-4-billion-years-2019-9">the moon's retreat from Earth</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-animation-planetary-scientist-huge-solar-system-2019-11">the vastness of our solar system</a>. He recently created this one to explain why 2020 is 366 days long. As his video (below) makes clear, leap years resolve a problem with the way we track time: Even though our calendars measure a year as 365 days, Earth's orbit around the sun actually takes 365.242 days.O'Donoghue's animation reveals what would happen if we didn't have leap years - after 400 years, our calendar months would drift into new seasons.Astronomically, seasons are marked by equinoxes and solstices. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-is-first-day-of-fall-september-equinox-2019-9">equinox</a> happens twice a year, in March and September, when Earth's equator lines up with the center of the sun. On those days, day and night are nearly equal lengths everywhere on the planet. After that, the seasons change. Days grow longer and nights become shorter on one side of the planet, and vice versa on the other.The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-is-summer-solstice-longest-day-of-year-june-2018-6">solstice</a> is the opposite: On those days, the sun appears at its furthest point from the equator, and the lengths of day and night are the most unequal.Because it takes Earth 365.242 days to travel from one March equinox to the next, our calendars fall 0.242 days short of the actual seasons every year. That extra quarter of a day, of course, adds up to one full day of drift every four years. So leap days re-align our calendars with the astronomical seasons.Shayanne Gal/Business Insider"One cannot simply add six hours to our year to fix this, because then the sun would rise six hours later the next day," O'Donoghue said. "We could do it, but only if we don't care that the 24-hour clock will cease relating to sunrise and sunset."Leap years are the least confusing solution, he added."I actually really admire the leap year system we have now: It presents a great opportunity for people to discuss the celestial mechanics of our planet," O'Donoghue said. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-axis-spun-sideways-extreme-summer-winter-seasons-2019-7">If Earth spun sideways, extreme winters and summers would doom life as we know it</a></h3>

A simple animation by a planetary scientist reveals what would happen without leap years: December would eventually drift into summer

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Archaeologists recently found straight lines of 25 pits dating to around 8,000 years ago.</li><li>The Mesolithic pits contain animal bones, including those of an extinct species of cattle.</li></ul>The discovery of 25 large pits in Bedfordshire, England, created around 8,000 years ago, has surprised and excited archaeologists.Radiocarbon dating puts the pits during <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-prehistoric-paleo-diet-actually-did-include-cereals-2016-9">the Mesolithic period</a>, making the find "incredibly significant" because of the rarity of such sites in the UK, the <a href="https://www.mola.org.uk/blog/nationally-significant-prehistoric-site-uncovered-bedfordshire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of London Archaeology</a>, which was involved in the study, said in a press release.The pits are arranged in straight lines, and a few contain animal bones with marks suggesting people ate them."While we know of other large and enigmatic pits dug by hunter-gatherers from elsewhere in Britain, including at Stonehenge, the Linmere pits are striking because of their number and the wide area they cover," Joshua Pollard, an archaeology professor at Southampton University, said in the release.<h2>Digging the pits took a lot of work</h2><a href="https://www.albionarchaeology.co.uk/news/2023-04-28-its-the-pits-or-is-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Albion Archaeology</a> found several of the pits in 2019, and MOLA archaeologists excavated more of them in 2021. The arrangement of the pits appears intentional, dug in several straight lines covering an area of up to about 1,600 feet.<div type="image" title="An archaeologist in an orange jumpsuit excavates an animal bone from a Mesolithic-period pit in Bedfordshire, England." height="1498" width="1998" msid="101524661" hostid="261" sizebytes="614662"></div>The pits measure between up to 16 feet wide and up to 6 feet deep. Some had rounded bottoms, while others were flat. Digging the holes would've required significant effort, the release said.Six of the pits contained about 400 fragments of animal bone, most of which belonged to a species of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/could-gene-editing-bring-back-aurochs-2016-3">wild cattle known as aurochs</a>, <a href="https://www.albionarchaeology.co.uk/news/2023-04-28-its-the-pits-or-is-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Albion Archaeology</a> said in a press release. Aurochs went extinct in the 1600s. The majority of the bones were distributed across two pits. Flint was found in two pits, as well. Red deer, roe deer, and pig bones were also found in the pits.While Mesolithic pits in France and other European countries are believed to have been dug as traps for animals, Pollard told Albion Archaeology that it's unlikely the ones in Bedfordshire served a similar purpose.Instead, the hunter-gatherer societies may have had a symbolic reason for constructing them, which may have been related to a nearby body of water, the Ouzel Brook.<h2>Similarities to Stonehenge pits</h2>In 2020, archaeologists found a series of similarly sized pits <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stonehenge-origins-purpose-built-in-wales-moved-to-england-2021-2">near Stonehenge</a>, the 5,000-year-old stone monument, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/nov/23/new-tests-show-neolithic-pits-near-stonehenge-were-humanmade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian reported</a>.Though some experts said the holes were natural features, it was soon determined that they were human-made and dug around the time the monument was built.Two years later, an electromagnetic induction survey of the area around Stonehenge revealed thousands of pits, some of which were dated to 10,000 years ago, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-61408488" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the BBC reported</a>.The monument aligns with the sunrise's rays on the summer solstice, but the presence of the pits could indicate that Stonehenge held significance for millennia before its construction, Nick Snashall, an archaeologist with the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site, told the BBC.Ice sheets began disappearing during the Mesolithic period. Rising sea levels isolated Britain from Europe about 8,500 years ago, which is one reason why archaeologists are interested in studying the Bedfordshire site and learning more about the communities that lived in the area.The researchers at MOLA plan to investigate whether the Bedfordshire pits' arrangement coincides with the solstice or other celestial events. If so, it could suggest why the area held meaning for the people who dug them.

Archaeologists are stunned by the discovery of 25 'incredibly significant' prehistoric pits dug in straight lines containing ancient animal bones

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1895128" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Lorde">Lorde</keyword> dropped a new song titled "Solar Power" on June 10 after teasing her return earlier that week.</li><li>It's the lead single from her highly anticipated third album, also called "Solar Power."</li><li>The 12-track album will be released on August 20 and was inspired by "the natural world."</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/lorde">Lorde</a> has finally unleashed her first song since "Melodrama," her <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-albums-lost-aoty-grammy-awards-snubs">Grammy-nominated album</a> that dropped almost exactly four years ago.The new single, titled "Solar Power," was surprise-released on June 10. She had teased the cover art <a href="https://www.lorde.co.nz">on her website</a> earlier that week, alongside the phrase, "Patience is a virtue." It's the first taste of Lorde's forthcoming third album. Here are all the details we have so far about her new era of <keyword id="6354530" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="music">music</keyword>.<h2>'Solar Power' is a beachy earworm, cowritten and coproduced by Lorde and Jack Antonoff</h2>Antonoff is <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-most-important-artists-of-the-decade-2010s">the most-trusted collaborator</a> of both Lorde and her close friend, <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/taylor-swift">Taylor Swift</a>. He executive produced "Melodrama" and cowrote nearly every song on the tracklist, save for "Homemade Dynamite.""Solar Power" is primarily driven by a choppy strumming pattern on acoustic guitar, vaguely reminiscent of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFCL6f7hy2s">"The Louvre,"</a> the fourth track on "Melodrama.""I hate the winter / Can't stand the cold / I tend to cancel all the plans," she sings to open the song. "But when the heat comes / Something takes a hold / Can I kick it? Yeah, I can."Back in November 2020, Lorde told fans in an email, "The beginning of summer is my favorite time in New Zealand, and this year in particular it feels like a gift."The song is notably warmer and more stripped of theatricality than her previous releases. It's probably safe to assume this reflects Lorde's current musical direction. Her previous lead singles, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcIKh6sBtc">"Royals"</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMK_npDG12Q">"Green Light"</a> - both of which landed in the top 25 of <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-songs-of-the-decade-2010s-ranked-2019-11">Insider's best songs of the decade ranking</a> - were sonically and thematically true to their parent albums.A Jack Johnson-esque snare drum arrives in the second pre-chorus, while the chorus boasts triumphant melodies that <a href="https://etcanada.com/news/793747/george-michaels-estate-releases-statement-regarding-those-lorde-solar-power-and-freedom-90-comparisons/">recall George Michael's "Freedom! '90."</a>In the minute-long outro, every instrument swells in volume while Lorde harmonizes with herself, chanting the titular phrase. <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/phoebe-bridgers"></a><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/phoebe-bridgers">Phoebe Bridgers</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/clairo">Clairo</a> contributed backing vocals, marking the first time a Lorde song has included any voice aside from her own.In <a href="https://youtu.be/If-VG2s0lX8">an interview with Zane Lowe</a>, Lorde called Bridgers and Clairo her "god-tier female vocalists" and revealed "Solar Power" also includes vocals from a few male musicians from New Zealand."I just knew it had to be a gang," she said. "This record, more than any that I've made, isn't just about me. It's my friends and my family and my country, and I knew the sentiments were not just mine alone to deliver... It's fun not to be alone, finally."<h2>The song seems to contain a nod to her long-rumored boyfriend, which could mean a loved-up album is on the way</h2>In the pre-chorus of "Solar Power," Lorde sings, "No shirt, no shoes, only my features / My boy behind me, he's taking pictures."The 24-year-old New Zealand native, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor, is reportedly dating Universal Music executive Justin Warren.Warren, who is 17 years Lorde's senior, <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/lorde-romance-rumours-ridiculous/GYEGM3X3VZI2ZOZSIDDJW5DJNQ/">denied relationship rumors</a> when the pair were first seen in 2016. However, they've been photographed together several times over the past few years, most recently in October 2020, when <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-8886939/Lorde-seen-time-EIGHTEEN-months-kisses-boyfriend-Justin-Warren.html">they were spotted kissing in Auckland</a>.Lorde's studio debut "Pure Heroine" deals largely with the fears and ecstasies of being a teenager; "Melodrama" was a pure breakup album, presumably inspired by <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/reports-lorde-has-split-from-boyfriend-james-lowe/IJW34YLMGXFBCEYBXATEK6SO4Y/">her split from James Lowe in 2015</a>. With Lorde apparently in a long-term relationship, her third album could mark a major departure from the existential, daggered songwriting of her past.<h2>The album is also called 'Solar Power' and will be released on August 20</h2>Alongside the song's release, Lorde sent an email to fans with the subject line, "Hey, cuties.""There's someone I want you to meet," she wrote. "Her feet are bare at all times. She's sexy, playful, feral, and free. She's a modern girl in a deadstock bikini, in touch with her past and her future, vibrating at the highest level when summer comes around. Her skin is glowing, her lovers are many. I'm completely obsessed with her, and soon you will be too.""It's my divine pleasure to be introducing you, at long last, to my third studio album, SOLAR POWER."Lorde described the album as "a celebration of the natural world, an attempt at immortalizing the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I'm outdoors."She revealed that her "best mate," <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CP1eFIIDXSx/">Ophelia Mikkelson Jones</a>, took the cover photo in a spontaneous moment of joy on the beach. The era's music videos were all directed by Joel Kefali, who directed her "Royals" visual back in 2013. Lorde also noted how the lead single was released on the same day as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ring-of-fire-solar-eclipse-how-to-watch-2021-6">the year's only solar eclipse</a>, and told fans to "look to the natural calendar for clues" about the album."I want this album to be your summer companion, the one you pump on the drive to the beach. The one that lingers on your skin like a tan as the months get cooler again," she wrote.In a follow-up email on Monday, June 21 - the day of the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/summer-solstice-2021-traditions-scn-trnd/index.html">Summer Solstice</a> - Lorde announced that her new album will arrive on August 20.<div type="image" title="lorde solar power photos tracklist" height="1500" width="1500" msid="83730733" hostid="261"></div>"Solar Power" will include 12 songs and two bonus tracks. The titles indicate themes of natural beauty ("California," "Oceanic Feeling"), surrealist storytelling ("Stoned at the Nail Salon," "The Man With the Axe"), spirituality ("Big Star," "Mood Ring"), and epic poetry ("Helen of Troy").<h2>The album was partially inspired by Lorde's 2019 trip to Antarctica, but was postponed when her dog suddenly died</h2>Lorde began working on new music about two years ago, after she returned from Antarctica in early 2019. She said the trip was galvanized by her <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-antarctica-ice-melting-highest-temperature-climate-change-2020-2">increasing awareness of climate change</a> and environmental responsibility. "When I went to Antarctica, I hadn't yet started writing again after finishing 'Melodrama.' I realized after the trip that what my brain had been craving was a visit to an alternate realm," she wrote in an email to fans."Albums live in their own realms in a way, and Antarctica really acted as this great white palette cleanser, a sort of celestial foyer I had to move through in order to start making the next thing."Shortly after she sent that email, <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2020/12/lorde-s-trip-to-antarctica-inspired-the-name-of-her-new-album.html">Lorde told New Zealand's Newshub</a> that her experience directly inspired the title of her next album."I actually decided on the album name right around that trip," she said. "Just coming back from that trip I thought, this is what it is."Lorde was accompanied by her friend Harriet Were, who photographed their journey on film. The shots were compiled into a photo book titled "Going South," which was made available for purchase in limited quantities. Recently, fans began to receive their pre-ordered copies, and some noticed a hidden message on the inside cover: "Blink three times when you feel it kicking in - 2021." This has revealed itself to be a lyric from "Solar Power."In her email, Lorde described the book as "a sort of perfect precursor to this album in an abstract way," so it's safe to assume that a good chunk of it was written in the trip's immediate aftermath.However, she stopped making music in November 2019 when <a href="https://www.insider.com/lorde-email-fans-postponing-next-album-death-dog-pearl-2019-11">her beloved dog, Pearl, suddenly died</a>. As she explained in another email, her grief impacted her vision for the album."I have lost my boy, and I need some time to see the good again, to finish making this for you," she wrote. "It won't be the same work - as anyone who has felt loss can understand, there's a door that opens that you step through, and everything is different on the other side."Lorde later said she returned to the studio that December "just for something to do.""To my surprise, good things came out. Happy, playful things," she wrote in a May 2020 email. "I felt my melodic muscles flexing and strengthening. Jack came over to work in the studio in Auckland, and I went to LA. It flowed. A thing started to take shape."She said they had continued to work remotely during the pandemic, adding, "The work is so f---ing good, my friend. I am truly jazzed for you to hear it."

Lorde just announced the release date of her new album 'Solar Power.' Here are all the details we have so far.

New Delhi, Jun 20 () With the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic looming large, International Day of Yoga on Sunday will be celebrated on digital media platforms sans mass gatherings and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message would be the highlight of the occasion. Yoga Day will go digital for the first time since June 21, 2015, when it began to be celebrated annually across the world, coinciding with the Summer Solstice each year. This year's theme is 'Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family' and people will be able to join the celebrations virtually at 7 am on June 21. The Indian missions abroad are trying to reach out to the people through digital media as well as through the network of institutions which support yoga, officials said. The Ministry of AYUSH had planned to hold a grand event in Leh, but cancelled it due to the pandemic. On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as 'International Day of Yoga', months after Modi had proposed the idea. A message from Prime Minister Modi will be the highlight of the International Day of Yoga which will be observed on electronic and digital platforms on June 21, the AYUSH ministry said on Thursday. "Due to the current global health emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the focus this year is less on such celebrations and more on people performing Yoga at their respective homes with participation of the entire family," the ministry said. The prime minister's remarks will be televised at 6.30 am, a statement by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga &amp; Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) said. As has been the practice in International Day of Yoga (IDY) observation, the PM's message will be followed by a live demonstration of a 45-minute Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) by a team from Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga. The CYP drill has been designed keeping in mind people of different age groups and of varied walks of life, the ministry had said in its statement. "Yoga is found to be especially relevant in the pandemic situation, since its practice leads to both physical and mental wellbeing, and increases the individual's ability to fight diseases," it said. Modi on Thursday had urged people, in a video message, to observe the day from the confines of their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "This year, the event will highlight the utility of yoga for individuals, to develop immunity to combat the global pandemic and strengthen the community in managing some of the significant aspects of this crisis," Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, president, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) had said earlier this month. The ministry and ICCR, through the 'My Life - My Yoga' video blogging competition which was launched by the prime minister on May 31, has sought to raise awareness about yoga and inspire people to prepare for and become active participants in the observation of IDY 2020. The contest has two legs -- the first one consisting of an international video blogging contest wherein the winners will be picked within a country. This will be followed by global prize winners who will be selected from different countries. To enter the contest, participants were required to upload a three-minute video of three yogic practices ('kriya', 'asana', 'pranayama', 'bandha' or 'mudra'), including a short video message/description on how the said yogic practices influenced their lives. The videos could be uploaded on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the contest hashtag #MyLifeMyYogaINDIA and appropriate category hashtag. Entries could be submitted by participants under three categories-- youth (male and female aged under 18), adults (male and female above 18 years) and yoga professionals (male and female), Kotecha said. This made it a total of six categories in all. For India contestants, prizes worth Rs 1 lakh, Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 will be given for first, second and third positions within each of the categories. The Indian missions abroad will give away prizes in each country. At the global level, cash prizes worth USD 2,500, USD 1,500 and USD 1,000 along with a trophy and certificate will be given to those ranking first, second and third, respectively. The blogging contest which has started on various digital platforms such as MyGov.gov.in will end on Sunday. The jury will then later collectively decide and announce the names of the winners. Yoga programmes are organaised across the globe by Indian missions every year, but this year will be different. Several missions are organizing digital events to mark the occasion. Thousands of yoga enthusiasts in Texas and adjoining US states are all set to roll out their mats to bend and twist their bodies in complex postures from the safety of their homes with acclaimed yoga guru Baba Ramdev on livestream to mark the International Day of Yoga on Sunday. ASK SMN SMN

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