This is how you can watch the Winter Solstice in Newgrange online this week

The once-in-a-lifetime event takes place this week.

By "once-in-a-lifetime", we don't mean the Winter Solstice, because that happens every year, like clockwork, for five days around the shortest day of the year, December 21. No, what we mean is that your opportunity to get to see it is pretty much once-in-a-lifetime, as to actually get a ticket to enter Newgrange is sorted by lottery, and out of the thousands and thousands who enter each year, only 20 winners are chosen. Each of those winners are allowed to bring one guest, and those groups are then split into smaller groups of ten, and weather permitting, are invited into the Newgrange monument before sunrise, so they can watch the sun naturally enter the inner chamber of the 5,000 year old site. Clip via Ireland's Ancient East This year, winners are coming from as far as  Austria, Italy, Switzerland and America, and as demand to witness the miracle of ancient engineering take place, the kind folks at Ireland's Ancient East have set up an alternative way to view the Solstice for those who can't make it in person. While watching it online obviously won't have the same level of wonder as seeing it in person, should you be so inclined, you can check it out on their official website. The live stream will be available for viewing from 8.30am on the mornings of Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 this week, which should make for a nice distraction on your morning commute on the bus into work those days.