Every summer, people walking the streets of New York City are treated to a rare sight: Manhattanhenge.
This year, the sun will align perfectly with Manhattan’s east-west grid at 8:12 p.m. EST Sunday and Monday, so on Memorial Day.
In the 1800s when they made these 90-degree angles they created a bull’s-eye for the sun to hit.
Manhattanhenge are the days of the year when the sun hits the bull’s-eye.
The sun will align at 8:12 p.m. EST Sunday and Monday, and it will happen again on July 11 and 12.
On both occasions, the first sunset will be a half sun, and the next day will give a striking view of the full sun.
For Stonehenge, the special day is the summer solstice, when the Sun rises in perfect alignment with several of the stones, signaling the change of season.
For Manhattan, a place where evening matters more than morning, that special day comes twice a year, when the setting Sun aligns precisely with the Manhattan street grid, creating a radiant glow of light across Manhattan’s brick and steel canyons, simultaneously illuminating both the north and south sides of every cross street of the borough’s grid.
To get the best view, Tyson says to get as far east as possible and recommends the following cross streets: 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd and 57th.
A rare and beautiful sight.
