Manhattanhenge 2011. Photo courtesy of Gothamist.
So I’ve never experienced this before, but I think it will be pretty cool.
If you’re in New York City tonight at sunset, watch as “the setting Sun aligns precisely with the Manhattan street grid, creating a radiant glow of light across Manhattan’s brick and steel canyons,” according to Hayden Planetarium. This phenomenon, known to us as Mahattanhenge, is kind of like Stonehenge in the U.K., where the “Sun rises in perfect alignment with several of the stones, signaling the change of season.” Except, you know, I’m pretty sure ours is a fluke.
The planetarium recommends viewers show up roughly 30 minutes before sunset, which they forecast will be at 8:17pm tonight. Cross-streets offering optimal viewing are “14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 57th, and several streets adjacent to them. The Empire State building and the Chrysler building render 34th street and 42nd streets especially striking vistas.”
If you miss out on tonight’s solar show, there will be another Manhattanhenge on July 12th. And it is also noted that tomorrow’s sunset should be quite similar to tonight’s.
To read more about Manhattanhenge, visit the planetarium’s website here, and I’ll see you tonight at sunset!
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