Here Comes Manhattanhenge 2024: When and How to Watch

New Yorkers, get ready for the latest solar spectacle.

Every year at the end of May and again in mid-July, residents and tourists alike flood the streets of Manhattan for a spectacular view of the sun setting in the west, lined with the city’s famous streets. Nicknamed Manhattanhenge, the event draws more people each year, some gathering in crowds so thick they block streets.

“I think of it as in-your-face astronomy,” said Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History who calculates the Manhattanhenge data every year. “It’s like a big science party going on in town.”

The popularity of this event most likely goes beyond the interest in science, added Dr. Faherty: People love good photos and Manhattanhenge delivers.

When is Manhattanhenge?

This year, Manhattanhenge takes place on Tuesday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 29, then again on July 12 and 13.

According to the American Museum of Natural History, the sun will set at 8:13 p.m. local time on Tuesday and 8:12 p.m. local time on Wednesday. In July, the sun sets on the 12th at 20:21 and on the 13th at 20:20.

The sunset will look different on successive days. On May 28, the upper half of the sun will line up with the city grid, but the next day the full sun will be visible. Later in the summer, this pattern will reverse: Viewers will see the 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.

A National Weather Service forecast issued Monday morning called for near-cloudless skies in New York at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The forecast also predicted clouds would cover about three-quarters of the sky at the same time on Wednesday.

Why should I see it?

Like April’s solar eclipse and the dancing aurora borealis, Manhattanhenge is another example of our home star bringing people together.

Sunsets are one of the easiest ways to take in the “miracle of the universe,” said Dr. Faherty, adding that each one is different. “You never know how the light will look or feel when it sets, or what the atmosphere will be around you.”

Longer days, warmer weather and the end of the New York school year make Manhattanhenge “just that extra notch,” she said. “It’s all just a nice, laid-back summer party and celebration of astronomy.”

Why is Manhattanhenge created?

The sun setting perfectly between the New York city canyons results from the geometry of the sun and the earth.

The sun sets in a different place each day because the Earth is tilted on its axis as it orbits the sun, said Dr. Faherty. She explained that if you watched the sun from the same spot facing west in the spring, you would notice that the point where it sets has moved a little further north relative to the horizon each day.

After the summer solstice, which occurs on June 20 this year, the sun begins to slowly return to the south. “He ping-pongs between the solstices,” said Dr. Faherty. “And that’s because we’re going around the sun like we’re doing loops around a track.”

This is also why there are two chances to see Manhattanhenge, in May and in July; the dates occur on either side of the summer solstice. Between these dates, viewers can still catch the sun rising from behind the city’s skyscrapers as it sets, although it will appear at different heights in the sky.

It’s a season of “epic sunsets in New York,” said Dr. Faherty.

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 spaced at 90-degree angles and run roughly east to west.

As long as the grid has existed, people have probably noticed the phenomenon, said Dr. Faherty.

The earliest mention of this effect, which was made by Dr. Tracking Faherty is 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 of Stonehenge in England.

Since then, the excitement surrounding the event has grown every year. “People caught on to it and it caught on like wildfire,” said Dr. Faherty.

Where can I see Manhattanhenge?

Among the most popular places to watch this special sunset is the Tudor City Overpass, the pedestrian walkway above 42nd Street. The lookout offers a good view of the Chrysler Building.

Another popular spot for photographers is the Park Avenue Viaduct a few streets west, near Grand Central Station. But pedestrians aren’t allowed there, and the police will probably show up to clean up any gathering crowds.

But any east-west Manhattan street with good New Jersey visibility is fair game. For the best views (and photos) Dr. Faherty recommends finding a wide path framed by notable urban structures.

On 34th Street you will see the Empire State Building; elsewhere on 42nd Street you can place Times Square in your shot. 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,” said Dr. Faherty, so keep safety in mind when choosing a location.

Is there ever a sunrise effect?

A similar effect occurs at sunrise in November and January, roughly six months after the Manhattanhenge sunset date. Dr. Faherty calls it the Reverse Manhattanhenge.

But dates for the Reverse Manhattanhenge are more difficult to calculate, she said, because the sun rises in the east over other parts of the city.

“The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens — they’re big, they’ve got a lot of topography,” said Dr. Faherty. “There are a lot more things that stand in the way.

This adds to the challenges of determining when there will be a clear view of the rising sun. And since the weather isn’t that great, Reverse Manhattanhenge tends to draw smaller crowds.

John Keefe contributed reporting.