What is “Manhattanhenge” (and does your city have its own henge)?

“Manhattanhenge” is chatting again as the year’s phenomenon is nearing its end on Tuesday, but what the heck is that? If you live in New York City (or follow someone doing it on social media), you’ve probably seen something about Manhattanhenge. Manhattanhenge occurs when the sun completely sets between the buildings that make up the city’s iconic skyline. People stop to take pictures of the event, which is rarer than you might think. This is all about Manhattanhenge and whether there is something similar to your city.

What is Manhattanhenge?

True Manhattanhenge occurs only twice a year. According to the American Museum of Natural History.. According to astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who was the museum’s explainer, for two days each year, the sunset exactly matched Manhattan’s street grid, creating a glowing light across Manhattan’s brick and steel canyons. At the same time, it illuminates both the north and the south. The sides of all the intersections of the grid of the autonomous region. “

You may see people with little information posting photos of the sunset from Manhattan and giving the Manhattanhenge false captions.The sunset is always beautiful (and Photographable), They are No Always true Manhattanhenge.In particular, the two days are held in spring and midsummer, but the next day of each is also counted as a type. Half of Manhattanhenge’s because half of the sun’s disk sinks above the horizon. On a true Manhattanhenge day, the entire disc is above the horizon.All these four days are mysteriously suitable for photography..

Manhattan’s main east-west streets are a great place to see Manhattanhenge as the sun sets. That is, you need to go to the 14, 23, 34, 42, or 57th.treets. It can also be seen from Hunter’s Point South Park in Long Island City.

By the way, the name comes from Stonehenge, a prehistoric arrangement of vertical stones in England. Every summer solstice, the sun rises to the many stones that were telling the people of the time that a new season was coming.

Do all cities have henge?

The American Museum of Natural History is good news for non-New Yorkers. “Note that in any city where the rectangular grid intersects, you can identify the day when the sunset coincides with the street.”

And now here’s the bad news: “But if you take a closer look at such cities around the world, you’ll find that they aren’t ideal for this purpose.”

Manhattanhenge works very well with the straight lines of the city grid, the clear view of the horizon they provide, and the tall vertical buildings that surround the scene along those streets. However, some cities have their own henge. Baltimore There is that version, like Chicago When Toronto..

Your local sun and building layout may not be exactly the same as the infamous version of New York, but where, You can see the phenomenon for yourself anytime, no matter where you are.