Memorial Day 'Manhattanhenge' to light up New York City streets
Share and Follow


New Yorkers and tourists alike spending their Memorial Day in the Big Apple on Monday will be treated to a city-stopping spectacle: Manhattanhenge.

Manhattanhenge, a portmanteau of “Manhattan” and “Stonehenge,” is a twice-a-year solar event when the sunset lines up directly with the city’s grid, casting golden rays down city streets. Several of the stones in Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, experience perfect alignment with the sun during the summer and winter solstices, which is why the event takes its name from the rock formation.

A Manhattanhenge sunset can bring the borough to a standstill as city dwellers and visitors clamor for a glimpse — and maybe a snapshot — of the city bathed in golden light.

This year’s Manhattanhenge dates correspond with both Memorial Day and Major League Baseball’s All-Star break, according to the American Museum of Natural History.

“For these two days, as the Sun sets on the grid, half the disk sits above and half below the horizon. My personal preference for photographs. But the day after also offers Manhattanhenge moments, but at sunset, you instead will find the entire ball of the Sun on the horizon,” Neil deGrasse Tyson, the director of the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium, said on the museum’s website.

Those hoping to catch a glimpse of the half-sun Manhattanhenge can do so at 8:13 p.m. ET Monday and again on Thursday, July 13, at 8:21 p.m. ET.

The full sun effect can be viewed at 8:12 p.m. ET Tuesday and again at 8:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 12.

The museum recommends watching the event on the east-west thoroughfares of Manhattan’s 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd or 57th streets.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Upcoming Fenton High School Update: Special Board Meeting to Review Superintendent James Ongtengco’s Possible Supportive Leave

BENSENVILLE, Ill. (WLS) — There are new developments Wednesday in the ongoing…

Lawsuit Claims Arizona Strip Clubs Duped Customers Out of $1 Million in Complex Scam

Nearly 20 people are suing a chain of Arizona strip clubs after…

Update on Baltimore Bridge Collapse: NTSB to Release Crash Timeline on Thursday After Examining Data Recorder from Dali Cargo Ship’s Voyage

BALTIMORE, Md. — National Transportation Safety Board investigators are combing on Wednesday…

Four Killed in Illinois Knife Attack, Suspect Arrested

A stabbing spree in Illinois left four people dead and five injured,…

Camilla expresses gratitude towards those who sent kind messages to Kate.

Camilla today said the Princess of Wales was ‘thrilled by all the…

“Fears of Russian Interference Rise Amid Events in Moldova’s Separatist Transnistria Region”

Since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, fears have risen in neighboring…

“MJ: The Musical: Controversy Surrounds Omission of Child Abuse Allegations”

A new musical about the life of Michael Jackson which has arrived…

Chicago’s Broadway Scene: The popular musical ‘Peter Pan’ debuts at the James M. Nederlander Theatre

CHICAGO (WLS) — “Peter Pan” is flying into Chicago in a new…