Janice R. Andrews
Prepare for the much awaited return of Manhattanhenge, the cherished sunset event that makes for great Instagram photos in New York City.
Twice a year, Manhattan experiences this magnificent sight as the Sun exactly lines up with its east-west streets, bathing the entire city in a bright glow. The American Museum of Natural History reports that this year, at 8:13 p.m. ET on Tuesday, a half Sun will be visible on the city’s grid. On Wednesday at 8:12 p.m. ET, a complete Manhattanhenge sunset is predicted, providing residents and tourists with the ideal opportunity to record this breathtaking sight.
Tuesday’s weather is predicted to be sunny with a high in the lower 80s for spectators. On the other hand, Wednesday’s forecast calls for less favorable circumstances with a thunderstorm risk.
14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street, and 57th Street are the prime spots to see Manhattanhenge. You can also see the breathtaking scene by traveling as far east as you can, where you will see New Jersey on the other side of the Hudson River. You can also get a peek from Hunter’s Point South Park in Long Island City, Queens, and the Tudor City Overpass in Manhattan.
The following opportunities to see Manhattanhenge are on July 12 (full sun) and July 13 (half sun).
How did the name Manhattanhenge come about?
The word Manhattanhenge was first used in a 1997 essay by astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson in the magazine Natural History. He was inspired by his youthful visit to Stonehenge and took part in an expedition under the direction of Gerald Hawkins, the scientist who initially proposed that the megaliths at Stonehenge were an ancient astronomical observatory.
Tyson, a native New Yorker, saw a resemblance between the Manhattan sunset and the solstice Sun at Stonehenge’s core, between the skyscrapers. Manhattan’s alignment with the Sun was not intentional, unlike the designers of Stonehenge; it happened by happenstance.
