Particle.news
Download on the App Store
10 ARTICLES
·
5h ago

Manhattanhenge Aligns With City Grid Tonight and Friday

A seasonal Blue Moon follows Friday’s sunset, prompting officials to urge early arrival because the framed sunset lasts only minutes.

Image
Image
In 1811, the planners of Manhattan’s street grid accidentally built one of the largest sun-aligned monuments in the world — and four times a year, the setting sun lines up perfectly with the city’s east-west streets, in an event Neil deGrasse Tyson named Manhattanhenge

Overview

  • The American Museum of Natural History confirmed a “half‑sun” alignment on Thursday, May 28 at 8:14 p.m. EDT and a “full‑sun” alignment on Friday, May 29 at 8:13 p.m. EDT, offering two brief, highly photogenic displays.
  • City agencies and museum officials point to best viewing spots such as 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd and 57th Streets, the Tudor City Overpass and Hunter’s Point South Park and advise arriving early because each alignment lasts only a few minutes.
  • The phenomenon occurs because Manhattan’s street grid is rotated about 30 degrees east of true north, so seasonal shifts in the sun’s setting azimuth create precise alignments during a roughly 45‑day window from late May through July 12.
  • A seasonal Blue Moon will rise shortly after Friday’s sunset, creating an unusual back‑to‑back pairing that is expected to draw photographers, tourists and locals to the city’s west‑facing avenues.
  • Tools such as Hengefinder let people locate similar ‘henge’ alignments in other cities, and observers say events like Manhattanhenge can rekindle public interest in astronomy and everyday knowledge of the sky.