Alignment of New Newgrange

Some location information

Black Rock Desert
Latitude: 40.7548 degrees
Longitude: -119.2364 degrees
Elevation: ~1240 m
Granite Range: ~2450 m (Granite Peak is at: 2753 m)
A horizon view of Granite Range using an astronomy aware 4D virtual world (heights based on map from GPS Visualizer map):

A VRML browsable version is available (a VRML plug-in [blaxxun, Cortona or BS] is needed for Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape).
See below for an actual picture from a comparable position at sunset, there is some likeliness in the horizon;-)

Period of festival: 30^th Aug. - 6^th Sept. 2004 (summer time)
Sunset information is thus:

Distance to Granite Range horizon: ~ 15 km
Assumed altitude horizon for below calculations: 4.7 degrees
The diameter of New Newgrange is: 13.5 meter and length of passage 4 m. The height of the passage at its end is around 1.80 m
on Aug. 30^th 2004: 19:06 (local time), azimuth: 278 degrees 0'
on Sept. 6^th, 2004: 18:54 (local time), azimuth: 274 degrees 29'
Three pictures of sun light into the chamber can be seen here (made by Evelyn McNamara and Richard Harris, (c) 2004):

Proposed ceremony

The proposed ceremony is as follows:

At an area within New Newgrange, is it possible for (a limited amount of) artists to make art objects or have interactive theatrical/musical performances during the moments sunlight gets into New Newgrange (or when clouds obscure the light; during sunset).
This can start from Aug. 30^th until Sept. 6^th, 2004 from 18:30 local time and can last say 30 minutes (per day) to sunset, so in total some 4 work hours.
Perhaps something can be done in the ceremony with the setting of the nearby presence of Jupiter; some 35 minutes later (Mars is perhaps too close by the sun, so too much glare of the sun). Also it is full moon on Aug 28^th and Mercury sets before the sun does (but not expected to be visible).
When New Newgrange is charged with all this new art and sun energy, it will give after sunset 18:54 on Sept. 6^th 2004 its energy to the not yet burning Burning Man. This can be done by a person walking with a flame from New Newgrange towards the Burning Man (could we get an athlete from Athens;-).
When the Burning Man is well underway, New Newgrange will be dismantled and transported in some way were it will be burned. New Newgrange will give back the art energy to the sky.
It would be nice to videotape (or sequence of pictures) the events. In all case have the camera on a tripod.

Set up and alignment

To be able to accomplish the above ceremony some things need to be build in such a way that it can happen.

The alignment New Newgrange - Granite Range mountains - Sun.
Because the horizon and The Sun can' t be moved; the location of New Newgrange roofbox needs to be determined in advance for being able to realize the above proposed ceremony.
New Newgrange will have an entrance and a roofbox on sunset side. The entrance of New Newgrange can be closed up during sunset time.
The middle of New Newgrange will have the artist workshop area.
The size of the light tunnel in the roofbox will be determined by the altitude of the setting sun and the 30 minutes the light needs to be in New Newgrange.
The light tunnel must be positioned in such a way that it is safe, and that the sun can pass from 30 minutes before sunset until sunset for the dates Aug. 30^th until Sept. 6^th 2004.
To accomplish the above the following ideas can be handy to utilize during building:

The location where New Newgrange will stand, to check the longitude and latitude (using GPS).
If possible determine the altitude of the horizon in sunset direction with clinometer or by using a stretched hand and count the number of fingers between water level and horizon. For me (stretched arm: 65.5 cm and finger thickness: 1.75 cm) this is around 1.5 degrees per finger.
One can also record the time that the last sun light is visible, when it sets behind the Granite Range.
A compass can be handy to determine the general directions of the passage.
Be aware that you have no metal on you (even glasses or wire in hats can cause problems) and/or metal tools and/or buildings/fences/etc.!
Remember that the compass gives the magnetic/compass azimuth, not the true azimuth. The difference is 15.5 degrees East, meaning that the true azimuth = magnetic azimuth + 15.5 degrees.
Please check for instance your true north with other people on site, compass readings are always somewhat difficult! It is important to get this right!
Passage direction:
The passage direction must be around 273.75 degrees, so the magnetic/compass reading should be around 258.25 degrees.
The sun is at this position on the following dates at times (at these dates/times the walls of the passage should not cast shadows):

Date	Time that sun is at 273.75 degrees
26/8/2004	18:34
27/8/2004	18:36
28/8/2004	18:37
29/8/2004	18:38
30/8/2004	18:40
31/8/2004	18:41
1/9/2004	18:43

Width of the entrance is 1.5 m and thus the outside construction size of the roofbox is 150 * 150 * 25 cm (length*width*height). Inside the roofbox a light tunnel is made:

The light tunnel (which is on the inside painted with non-reflecting black) is 1 m long and 10.5 * 9 cm (width*height or 12 by 10 degrees). If one want an easier alignment, just more the 10.5 something like 21 cm, this will enable the option not to have to align the light tunnel in the sun's direction so accurately.
The bottom side of this light tunnel has an angle comparable to the altitude of the horizon (use a small piece of wood to align it with the horizon altitude).
The direction of the light tunnel is in such a way that the actual sunset just gets thought it on Aug. 29^th, 2004. To be able to accommodate this fine tuning, it would be handy that one end of the light tunnel can turn around a pivot.
Remember that this light tunnel is quite small in width and height and the construction of roofbox and light tunnel must thus be quiet sturdy!

The rest of the building must be light tight to have a good experience.
The view through the roofbox from inside on Sept. 2^nd, 2004 should be (also Mars and Jupiter will be faintly visible in the sky nearby! [they won't cast a shadow though inside the building]):
Ideas on the location of the light patch in the middle of the building:

The area where light patch will be (during a one day 30 minute sunset) is around 55*55 cm and centered around the middle of the light tunnel on Sept. 2^nd, 2004.
The light patch will move in a left-upwards path over 30 minutes from some 105 cm below the bottom of the light channel, so is around 75 cm from ground level.
The light patch will come at the end of the sunset period some 50 cm below the bottom of the light channel, so is around 1.50 cm from ground level.
During the whole period the light patch can wander over an area of 70*55 cm (width*height)

Would there be Internet connectivity in Black Rock Desert (to be able to communicate with a designated person with regard to daily actual shadow casting, sunrise conditions, design on the spot, arising issues, support during build, etc.)?

The above will allow to determine the position and size of the roofbox/light-tunnel.

Tools handy to have

A few tools would be handy to have at the location (in order of importance):

a compass, important see this remark on deviation of magnetic/compass azimuth from true azimuth.
an internet connection
a GPS
a digital camera/video camera with tripod
a clinometer (altitude angle meter)

Time line

The above will help me to provide the final design the alignment (without a hurry, because that will only produce errors which are difficult to rectify).
It is like 5000 years ago; one needs to plan this, otherwise it won't work. We have less than three weeks to complete this at a remote location (Black Rock City) from a remote location (Ireland), while 5000 years ago they certainly would have done it over a few years and being at the very spot.

If the above is successful; I think it is worth a good TV documentary/coverage (and perhaps it is possible to get TV time afterwards; like the series about rebuilding the pyramids;-).