Tonight at 8:24 p.m. the sun will slip from the sky in perfect alignment with the Manhattan street grid, sending gooey orange light down across the east-west streets of the city. It’s a perfect New York moment to share with a loved one… or better yet, to Instagram!
The phenomenon is known as “Manhattanhenge,” and happens twice a year (it happened back on May 30th, too).
“For best effect, position yourself as far east in Manhattan as possible,” advises Neil deGrasse Tyson, who coined the term in 2002. “Clear cross streets include 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.”
Take to the east-west streets at sunset for a rare glimpse of natural beauty from the concrete jungle, and if you can’t catch Manhattanhenge tonight (due to a hotly-anticipated movie date or Soul Cycle class), tomorrow the sun will be half visible from across the grid at sunset.
[via Gawker]
