Manhattanhenge

Thousands of New Yorkers and visitors will crowd the major east-west streets of Manhattan the next couple of afternoons – all to watch the setting Sun. Weather permitting, the Sun will be perfectly framed by the island’s urban canyons as it descends over the Hudson River. The event is known as Manhattanhenge. It’s named for Stonehenge, the ancient monument in England. Its stones appear to have been aligned with key sunrise and sunset points, and other events. Manhattan produces its own alignments. The island is laid out in a perfect grid, and there are no obstructions along the horizon to block the Sun. The special sunset alignment occurs twice per year, about three weeks before and after the summer solstice, in June. Today, the Sun will be half above and half below the horizon at the peak viewing time. Tomorrow, the full solar disk will stand directly atop the horizon. That sequence is reversed on the nights of July 12th and 13th. Manhattanhenge has become a popular tourist attraction. The streets are clogged by a half hour before sunset. And some venues hold special events to celebrate the view. New York isn’t the only city where you can see the Sun setting between the buildings. But few offer the same alignment of streets and the open horizon provided by Manhattan. Script by Damond Benningfield