Manhattanhenge: How to capture the New York City phenomenon for the final time in 2022
- Manhattanhenge is a visual spectacle that occurs when the sun perfectly lines up with Manhattan's grid streets.
- Manhattanhenge only happens four times a year – twice in the spring and twice in the summer.
- If you want to spot it, get there on time. Manhattanhenge only last for a few minutes.
New York City residents and tourists will have the chance to see one of the concrete jungle's greatest spectacles on Tuesday for the final time this year: Manhattanhenge.
The made-for-Instagram moment occurs when the sun perfectly lines up with Manhattan's grid streets, as the sunset appears just on the street horizon. The term was first coined by astrophysicist and New York City native Neil deGrasse Tyson in 1997 as a nod to the Stonehenge monument in England.
"It’s insanely popular," Jackie Faherty, astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History, told Paste BN in 2020. "People plan their vacations around coming to NYC to see it."
Manhattanhenge is only visible four times a year, typically in the spring and the summer. Monday was the last chance to see the full sun in between buildings, and people flocked the streets of New York City to get a glimpse and capture the phenomenon on their phones. Now is the last chance to see Manhattanhenge until 2023.
Images of the universe: NASA releases 'sharpest' images of the universe from James Webb Space Telescope
'Today is a historic day': First image from the James Webb Space Telescope shows thousands of galaxies
What time is Manhattanhenge?
The first three days of Manhattanhenge happened on May 29-30 and July 11. July 12 is the last day to see it in 2022, according to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.
Tuesday's spectacle will be a "half-sun Manhattanhenge." It will happen at 8:21 p.m. local time, and you better be on time to see it.
"Manhattanhenge lasts for only a few minutes at sunset – get there early!" the department says.
What is the best place to see Manhattanhenge?
To get the best view of Manhattanhenge, the city's parks and recreation department says people should go onto Manhattan's major cross streets that run from west to east, with nothing blocking the view to the west.
These are the streets the city recommends people go to:
- 57th Street
- 42nd Street
- 34th Street
- 23rd Street
- 14th Street
- Tudor City Overpass, Manhattan
- Hunter's Point South Park in Long Island City, Queens
If people want the perfect shot of Manhattanhenge, it's recommended to go further east.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.