Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
4 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
5 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
6 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Massachusetts The Sunwheel
AO Edited

The Sunwheel

Each solstice, students and astronomy enthusiasts gather at a primitive but functioning sun wheel to witness how humanity first used this calendar.

Hadley, Massachusetts

Added By
Amalia Wompa
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Amalia Wompa / Atlas Obscura User
  Amalia Wompa / Atlas Obscura User
  Amalia Wompa / Atlas Obscura User
The entrance to The Sunwheel.   Amalia Wompa / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Each solstice, on the outskirts of the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, students and community members gather around a sun wheel, a primitive version of a calendar consisting of stones aligned in a circle that allow for people to track the orientation of the sun. A now-deceased UMass astronomy professor began the multi-year construction process in May 1997 with only a few two-foot-tall stones, before eventually being completed in 2000 with 14 stones in total, the largest one standing 10 feet tall. The stones were sourced from a quarry only 50 miles away from campus, with the largest stone standing at 10 feet and weighing 8500 pounds. The four stones that stick out mark the sunrises and sunsets of the summer and winter solstices.

Visiting the Sunwheel repeatedly allows onlookers to witness the change in variation of the sun’s location along the horizon. Numerous projects are given to astronomy students that include studying the rates at which the sun moves, the differences between lunar and solar motion, the different locations of stars over time, and the way shadow length changes depending on the seasons. Students, school groups, community members, and general astronomy enthusiasts gather four times a year at the site to witness the solstices of each season at sunrise.

Related Tags

Solstice Sun Calendars Sundials

Community Contributors

Added By

Amalia Wompa

Published

February 5, 2025

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.umass.edu/sunwheel/index2.html
The Sunwheel
Hadley, Massachusetts, 01035
United States
42.374443, -72.536797
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Simeon Strong House

Amherst, Massachusetts

miles away

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sculpture

Amherst, Massachusetts

miles away

Stearns Steeple

Amherst, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Massachusetts

Massachusetts

United States

Places 541
Stories 42

Nearby Places

Simeon Strong House

Amherst, Massachusetts

miles away

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sculpture

Amherst, Massachusetts

miles away

Stearns Steeple

Amherst, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Massachusetts

Massachusetts

United States

Places 541
Stories 42

Related Places

  • Seattle, Washington

    Mt. Baker Ridge Sunset Stones

    These split boulders mark equinoxes and solstices along the Seattle skyline.

  • Sunlight entering through an opening in the ceiling of Basilica di San Petronio.

    Bologna, Italy

    Meridian Line of Basilica di San Petronio

    A massive line that stretches across the floor of Bologna’s largest church was created by a 17th-century scientist to measure the movements of the Sun.

  • Zaragoza, Spain

    Reloj Solar Multicaja-Zaragoza

    The world's largest sundial can cast a shadow more than 1,600 feet long.

  • Big Sur, California

    Keyhole Arch at Pfeiffer Beach

    Centuries of crashing waves carved out this small hole in the rock, which lights up at certain parts of the year.

  • The Light Pyramid at the far end of Midsummer Boulevard.

    Milton Keynes, England

    Midsummer Boulevard Light Pyramid

    This suburban British town holds secrets that would have made the druids proud.

  • The Fountain of the Twelve Months

    Turin, Italy

    Fontana dei Dodici Mesi

    See every month of the year personified at this opulent Turinese fountain.

  • Rotherham, England

    Steel Henge

    This metal installation is a tribute to an ancient megalithic structure and South Yorkshire's steel history.

  • Kirkcaldy, Scotland

    Fleming Memorial Sundial

    An ingenious way to immortalize the inventor of universal time.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.