There's still time to see Manhattanhenge
New York -- There might be one more chance to see Manhattanhenge this year. The twice yearly event that paints New York City streets in a glowing, warm light, took place on May 29 and May 30 at sunset. But Wednesday's event was obstructed by clouds, leaving hopeful viewers disappointed.
Thursday's forecast is for partly cloudy skies that could clear by sunset at 8:27 p.m.
Viewers above 14th Street in New York City can catch a glimpse of the setting sun as it aligns perfectly between the city’s skyscrapers along the east-west streets.
The term was coined by native New Yorker and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who was inspired by a visit to Stonehenge as a teenager. Tyson compared the solstice rays at the center of Stonehenge circle to the sun perfectly setting between the city’s high-rises.
Because the city’s streets were not laid out along a perfectly east-west orientation, the event does not occur on the solstice. It occurs approximately three weeks before and three weeks after summer solstice, thus giving New Yorkers two chances to catch it.
During the first viewing in May, haze from the Canadian wildfires created a fiery red sunrise and a soft, rosy glow for Manhattanhenge viewers at sunset.
Crowds gather on the major thoroughfares with 42nd Street being a popular viewing street. But any east-west street should offer a view, and the phenomena is also viewable from the borough of Queens, across the East River from Manhattan.
If you miss it this week, the next opportunity will be in 2024.
