New Yorkers, get ready for the latest solar show.
Every year at the end of May, and again in mid-July, locals and tourists crowd the streets of Manhattan to admire a spectacular view of the sunset to the west, flanked by the famous streets of the city. Nicknamed Manhattanhenge, the event attracts more people each year, with some gathering in crowds so dense they block the streets.
“I look at it as in-your-face astronomy,” said Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History who calculates the dates of Manhattanhenge each year. “It’s like a big science festival that will take place in the city.”
The event’s popularity most likely goes beyond interest in science, Dr. Faherty added: People love a good photo op, and Manhattanhenge delivers.
When is Manhattanhenge?
This year, Manhattanhenge will take place on Tuesday May 28 and Wednesday May 29, and again on July 12 and 13.
According to the American Museum of Natural History, Manhattanhenge will reach full effect on Tuesday at 8:13 p.m. and Wednesday at 8:12 p.m. local time. In July, the event will take place at 8:21 p.m. on the 12th and 8:20 p.m. on the 13th.
The sunset will appear different on consecutive days. On May 28, the upper half of the sun will align with the city grid, but the next day the full sun will be visible. Later in the summer, this trend reverses: viewers will see full sun on July 12 and the upper half of the sun on July 13.
Will the clouds get in the way?
Of the two opportunities this week, Tuesday’s Manhattanhenge looks like your best bet for a clear view of the setting sun.
Nearly cloudless skies were expected at 8 p.m. Tuesday in New York, according to a National Weather Service forecast released Monday morning. The forecast also called for clouds to cover about three-quarters of the sky by the same time Wednesday.
Why should I see it?
Much like the April solar eclipse and the dancing auroras of the sun, Manhattanhenge is another example of our home star bringing people together.
Sunsets are one of the easiest ways to experience “the wonders of the cosmos,” Dr. Faherty said, adding that each one is distinct. “You never know what the light will look like when it sets, or what the atmosphere around you will be like.”
Longer days, warmer weather and the end of the school year in New York make Manhattanhenge “an extra step,” she said. “The whole thing is just a nice, relaxing summer party and celebration of astronomy.”
Why does Manhattanhenge happen?
The perfect sunset between the urban canyons of New York results from the geometry of the sun and the Earth.
The sun sets in a different place every day because the Earth is tilted on its axis as it orbits the sun, Dr. Faherty said. In the spring, she explained, if you watched the sun look west from the same location, you would notice that the place where it sets moved a little northward relative to the horizon each day. .
After the summer solstice, which occurs on June 20 this year, the sun begins to move back toward the south. “It ping-pongs between solstices,” Dr. Faherty said. “And that’s because we’re circling the sun, like we’re doing loops around a track.”
This is also why there are two opportunities to see Manhattanhenge, in May and July; the dates are on either side of the summer solstice. Between these dates, viewers can still see the sun emerging from behind the city’s skyscrapers as it sets, although it appears at different heights in the sky.
It’s a season of “epic sunsets in New York,” Dr. Faherty said.
How did Manhattanhenge start?
In the 1800s, city planners designed New York City as a grid: its avenues run roughly north to south, and its cross streets are arranged at 90-degree angles, running roughly east to west .
Since this grid has existed, people have probably noticed the phenomenon, Dr. Faherty said.
The first mention of this effect that Dr. Faherty could find was a 1997 comic strip published in Natural History magazine. Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, coined the name “Manhattanhenge” in 2002, inspired by the ancient monument Stonehenge in England.
Since then, the excitement around this event has continued to grow year after year. “People got it and it caught on like wildfire,” Dr. Faherty said.
Where can I see Manhattanhenge?
Among the most popular places to watch this special sunset is the Tudor City Viaduct, a pedestrian bridge over 42nd Street. The viewpoint offers a good view of the Chrysler Building.
Another favorite spot for photographers is the Park Avenue Viaduct, a few avenues west, near Grand Central Station. But pedestrians aren’t allowed up there and police will likely show up to clear out any crowds that have gathered.
But any street running east-west in Manhattan with good visibility into New Jersey is fair game. To get the best views (and photos), Dr. Faherty recommends finding a wide road framed by notable urban structures.
On 34th Street you will see the Empire State Building; Elsewhere on 42nd Street, you may be able to position Times Square in your frame. Wide roads like 14th Street, 23rd Street, and 57th Street are also popular. Uptown on 145th Street and Hunters Point in Queens offer unconventional views.
“You have to be in the middle of the street to fully appreciate it,” Dr. Faherty said, so keep safety in mind when choosing a location.
Does the effect sometimes occur at sunrise?
A similar effect occurs at sunrise in November and January, approximately six months after the sunset dates at Manhattanhenge. Dr. Faherty calls this the Reverse Manhattanhenge.
But the dates of Reverse Manhattanhenge are harder to calculate, she said, because the sun rises in the east over the city’s other boroughs.
“The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens – they’re big, they have a lot of topography,” Dr. Faherty said. “There are a lot more things that get in the way.”
This adds difficulty in determining when there will be a clear view of the rising sun. And since the weather isn’t as great, Reverse Manhattanhenge tends to attract smaller crowds.
John Keefe reports contributed.