These pages are to give flight to your imagination. Here are the facts of life for the Gateway of Dreams. What it is like to be there for each solstice and equinox?
December Solstice
- Dawn time: 7:38 AM PST. Before the year 2000, it was about 7:20 AM
PST. Now it is later, because new buildings block the view.
- Weather: the grass is frosty or wet. Sky hazy, cloudy, raining, or
fair, depending on the year.
- Visitors: variable numbers. About 50 in 1997. Who are they? Sunnyvale
City Council members or Mayor, people who saw a newspaper article on
the event, people celebrating their birthday, experts on rune-casting,
people with visiting relatives, software engineers, their wives, their
kids, and all types. Why are they here? Mostly curious, venturesome,
mundane, a few mystical. Here's a
couple.
- Visibility: Sun rises between traffic signs of the intersection and
must clear the buildings beyond. Not a bad shot in clear weather.
March Equinox
- Dawn time: 6:24 PST
- Weather: might be wet, but mild, spring-like.
- Visitors: unlikely
- Visibility: Sun rises behind the bank across the street. The sun does not
appear until 11 or so.
June Solstice
- Dawn time: about 4:30 AM (5:30 PDT). See the sun about 6:10, later
each year as the trees grow up.
- Weather: the grass might be very dewy and cool.
- Visitors: some
- Visibility: Sun rises behind mid-distance trees and far-distance hills between Mission Peak antennas and Mt. Hamilton observatory.
September Equinox
- Dawn time: 5:45 AM (6:45 PDT)
- Weather: very unlikely to be wet.
- Visitors: unlikely
- Visibility: None. Sun rises behind the bank across the street. The sun does not appear until 11 or so. However, sunset visibility is good along El Camino Real.
See Plaque for descriptive information. See Dec 1997, Jun 1998.
