If you’ve never heard of Manhattanhenge, welcome to New York! You should stay a while, try our bagels!
In case you’re too embarrassed to ask what Manhattanhenge is, and too lazy to Google it, we’ll tell you: Manhattanhenge is when the setting sun aligns with the street grid of Manhattan, illuminating every cross street on the north and south sides of the borough. Yes, thousands of people will be strolling zombie-like into the middle of busy intersections like lemmings… and it’s a beautifully eerie occurrence.
The phenomenon takes place only twice a year, and this summer, you’ll catch the full sun event in all it’s hengie-glory on Wednesday, May 30 at 8:12 pm and Thursday, July 12 at 8:20 pm.
The half sun will be visible on Tuesday, May 29 at 8:13 pm and Friday, July 13 at 8:21 pm.
The best streets to catch the the phenomena (wide enough for the best shots/views) are as far east as possible in Manhattan, on:
- 14th Street
- 23rd Street
- 34th Street (if you want to catch the Empire State Building in your picture)
- 42nd Street
- 57th Street
TIPS: Turn off your flash, you’ll want the sun alone without any glare caused by a bright flash. Don’t bother zooming, and you wont need an Instagram filter.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, the discoverer of Manhattanhenge, declared the event to be “a unique urban phenomenon in the world, if not the universe.”
featured image source: Technology Weekly