Manhattanhenge is back!
For the second time this summer, the setting sun will align perfectly on Friday and Saturday with the city’s street grid, setting the skyline aglow and giving even the toughest city cynics something to feel mushy about.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, coined the term when he discovered the coincidence in 1996. And we got the inside scoop from him on how best to take advantage of the solar event.
He told us it’s best to stand as far east as possible. The clear cross streets of 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd and 57th streets are all good options for catching the light.
The sun will be right on the grid at 8:24 Friday, and 8:25 Saturday. And so far, the weather is looking good.
—Megan Stride
Photo: Manhattanhenge as seen from one of the prime viewing locations, the Tudor City Overpass. (Photo by thehalfshow.com on Flickr)
