Manhattanhenge – also known as the Manhattan Solstice – is a biannual event that marks the fact that the setting sun is perfectly aligned with the streets of the main street grid of Manhattan, in New York City.

This year, the Manhattanhenge will light up the days of New York City on Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May (on the 30th). The event is possible because roadways in this portion of the NYC are aligned in a grid, where avenues are arranged on a north-south line, while streets are laid out west to east.

The Manhattanhenge occurs near the summer solstice, adorning skyscrapers with rich red light. This year, residents will want to be on the lookout on two occasions: on May 29 and 30, and on July 11 and 12.

During the event on Memorial Day, the sun will be visible as a half-circle; in July, the whole disk of the sun will bathe the Big Apple in red light. Named after the Stonehenge in England, the Manhattanhenge was also designed to create a magnificent display on certain dates.

The effect has originated during the 19th century, “when they made these 90-degree angles they created a bull’s-eye for the sun to hit. Manhattanhenge are the days of the year when the sun hits the bull’s-eye,” explained Jackie Faherty of the American Museum of Natural History.

Surprisingly, New York City is not alone in capturing the sun’s rays in creative ways; various cityhenges have been designed in urban areas around the world. Among the better-known are Chicagohenge, Bostonhenge, Montrealhenge, and Phillyhenge.

However, the events take place at different times in different places. People wishing to view these popular cityhenges – and others – should consult a local planetarium to see the best time to go outdoors.

For the techies, there are also several apps that allow users to track the position of the sun at different times throughout the day. That can also help to highlight the best times to take a walk on these avenues bathed in sunlight.

These occurrences can actually take place in any city where streets run west to east, so look for that in your city and let us know if you spot a new undiscovered cityhenge.
Image Source: RSVLTS