Later this month will be the first occurrence of everyone’s favorite celestial happening in New York City, Manhattanhenge. The urban phenomenon was coined by Neil de Grasse Tyson, the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History. de Grasse Tyson also sets the dates and times for Manhattanhenge each year, which for 2016 are:
Sunday, May 29 at 8:12 pm (half sun on the horizon)
Monday, May 30 at 8:12 pm (full sun on the horizon)
Monday, July 11 at 8:20 pm (full sun on the horizon)
Tuesday, July 12 at 8:20 pm (half sun on the horizon)
The most popular places to view Manhattanhenge are on 34th Street and 42nd Street, at Tudor City, but don’t bother. It’s so crowded, you’ll find it much more interesting to take photos of the people jockeying for the view. You can actually the phenomenon on any cross street in Manhattan.
On July 12, you can also attend a public program about Manhattanhenge at the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium which will be followed by a viewing of the event at 79th Street.
