Things are lining up for summer solstice 2003

Art lovers and amateur astronomers certainly will be on hand. If previous years are any indication, local Druids may show up, too.

The locus for this eclectic mix is the famous Sun Tunnels art installation about 50 miles north of Wendover, near Lucin in the Box Elder County desert. Saturday is the date for the predicted gathering. That is the summer solstice, the official start of the warmest season.

At that time, two of the four gigantic concrete pipes that make up the Sun Tunnels will allow the rising and setting sun to shine through. The remaining two tunnels are arranged so that the rising and setting sun beams through on the winter solstice, six months from the summer event.

The Sun Tunnels were arranged by artist Nancy Holt in the mid-1970s. Since then, they have drawn fans of large outdoor installations from around the world.

Patrick Wiggins, NASA solar system ambassador to Utah, has visited the Sun Tunnels for events during the June and December solstices. Both are interesting, he said.

"I think the stark beauty of the place is kind of neat, both times of the year," he said.

The tunnels are large enough that adults can stand up inside. When Wiggins was there, the sun blazed through at the appointed time. Obviously, Holt got the tunnels' orientation right, he added.

Some may find a four-hour drive from Salt Lake City daunting. But for someone with an interest in the heavens, it's especially rewarding, because the pipes' orientation allows one to instantly understand the full range of the sun's shift through the year.

A visitor can see where the sun sets in the summer solstice, then turn and see where it will set six months later, he said.

Sometimes amateur astronomers who enjoy seeing the solar system in action drive out for the June solstice and stay all night, having a star party.

"There's actually been quite a crowd out there" for the June event, he said. He has noticed 40 or 50 visitors then. If Druids show up for solstice ceremonies, as has happened, the figure can be much larger.

Wiggins said those heading to the Sun Tunnels for the solstice sunset should give themselves plenty of time for the long drive.

Inevitably, a latecomer will arrive after sunset.

Two routes are available. The most direct, north from Wendover, takes longer because the long dirt road is rough.