By Joe Rao last updated 2 days ago (Space.com)

Twice a year, the setting sun perfectly aligns with Manhattan’s street grid, creating one of New York City’s most spectacular skywatching events.

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• Dates and times to look

Twice each year, New Yorkers gather along Manhattan’s cross streets to watch the setting sun perfectly align with the city’s grid, creating one of the most striking urban skywatching events in the world: Manhattanhenge.

In 2026, Manhattanhenge will occur on May 28-29 and on July 11-12. The best views are typically along 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd and 57th Streets looking west toward New Jersey.

On May 28 and July 12, viewers will see a “half sun” resting on the horizon, while May 29 and July 11 feature the dramatic “full sun” effect.

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But why does Manhattanhenge happen in the first place?

The answer lies in the unique layout of Manhattan’s streets and the changing position of the setting sun throughout the year.

Let’s face it. If you live in New York City, where light pollution is among the worst in the United States, there aren’t too many celestial sights that you can look forward to seeing. And yet, twice each year, people not only from in and around New York, but from across the country and even perhaps from around the world come to Manhattan to be mesmerized by an uncommon phenomenon that occurs near sunset.

Around Memorial Day and again for a day or two around July 12, New Yorkers become intrigued by an unusual circumstance that allows the setting sun to be seen on many of Manhattan’s east-west cross streets simultaneously, provided you have a clear view down to the New Jersey horizon. Indeed, it is not unusual on those special evenings to see people clustered on the corners of favored cross streets watching the setting sun as it aligns with Manhattan’s canyons of brick, glass and steel, creating dramatic vistas. In recent years, the Manhattanhenge term has become very popular in pop culture, even being used for the title of a 2009 episode of the television series “CSI: NY,” as well as official clips for the TV Land series “Younger” (Season 3).

Enigma of Stonehenge

Of course, there are other places on Earth where the sun aligns with certain landmarks at specific times of the year. The most famous is Stonehenge, the Neolithic monument at Wiltshire in the Salisbury Plain of England, where on the day of the summer solstice, as seen from inside Stonehenge, the sun appears to rise directly above the so-called Heel Stone. It’s an event that attracts thousands each year.

Although we are certain that the massive upright stones that comprise Stonehenge took about 1,500 years to construct and that it probably once served as a burial ground, many mysteries about it still abound. More than half a century ago, British astronomer Gerald S. Hawkins (1928-2003) and co-author John B. White published a book, “Stonehenge Decoded” (Doubleday, 1965), which claimed that Stonehenge was used to predict a wide number of astronomical occurrences. While attracting a large following, the book also attracted some reputable scientific scholars who scoffed at its findings. All these years later, the issue remains a contentious one and the true nature of Stonehenge may forever be a mystery.

The Gridiron of Manhattan

So far as Manhattanhenge is concerned, its origins are not nearly as mysterious. It is based on a design for Manhattan outlined in “The Commissioners’ Plan of 1811” — for a rectilinear grid, or “gridiron” of straight streets and avenues which intersect each other at right angles. This design extends from north of Houston Street in lower Manhattan to just south of 155th Street in upper Manhattan. Most cross streets in between were arranged in a regular right-angled grid that was tilted 30 degrees east of true north to roughly replicate the angle of Manhattan Island.

And it is because of this 30-degree tilt in the grid that the magic moment of the setting sun aligning with Manhattan’s cross streets does not coincide with the June solstice, but rather with specific dates in late May and early July.

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While we say that the sun sets in the west, most times that’s not exactly the case! Like the popular axiom, “A broken clock is correct twice a day,” the sun sets precisely due west only twice each year — on the equinox days in March and September. But between the first day of spring and the first day of autumn, the position on the horizon where the sun appears to set (known as the azimuth) occurs somewhat north of due west. The azimuth of the sunset slowly shifts northward until the day of the June solstice; thereafter, it reverses course and shifts back to the south. On June 21, the sun sets at an azimuth of 302 degrees or 32 degrees north of due west.

But for the setting sun to be seen from all of Manhattan’s cross streets, its azimuth must be 300 degrees or 30 degrees north of due west. That happens twice — first as the sun is climbing toward the solstice in late May — and then for a second time after the solstice, as the sun migrates back toward the south in early July.

And that first opportunity in late May is rapidly approaching.

Dates and times to look

Date 2026	Sun	Time (EDT)
May 28	Half sun	8:14 p.m.
May 29	Full sun	8:13 p.m.
July 11	Full sun	8:20 p.m.
July 12	Half sun	8:21 p.m.

The man who first brought attention to the Manhattanhenge phenomenon nearly 30 years ago is the noted astrophysicist and director of New York’s Hayden Planetarium, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. He has written an interesting blog about the event.

For those who will be in New York City and hoping to get a view of, and maybe even photograph this year’s spectacle, here is a tip: While any cross street will suffice, Dr. Tyson suggests the wider, “two-way” cross streets that ensures the best views of the west-northwest horizon (toward New Jersey) at 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd and 57th Streets. “The Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building render (respectively) 34th street and 42nd streets especially striking vistas,” he notes.

Popular viewing locations can become crowded, especially on 34th and 42nd Streets, so arriving at least 30 minutes before sunset is recommended.

We should also note here that the times provided below are not for the exact moment of sunset. Sunset is defined as when the very top of the sun disappears below a “true” astronomical horizon (such as what one might see from a ship out at sea). For the Manhattanhenge effect, allowances must be taken for hills and any landmarks along the distant New Jersey landscape, so the sun’s altitude is assumed to be one degree (or slightly less) above the actual horizon.

In 2026, there are not two, but four possible dates.

For your first opportunity in May, the dates to circle on your calendar are May 28 and May 29. On the first date, at 8:14 p.m. EDT, you will see a “half sun,” that is, half above and half below the landscape. On the following night, at 8:13 p.m. EDT, you will see a “full sun,” with the entire solar disk resting above the horizon.

If you miss out in May, you’ll get a second chance in July, on the 11th and 12th. On the first July date a “full sun” appears at 8:20 p.m. EDT, while on the second date, we get the “half sun” effect at 8:21 p.m. EDT.

Manhattanhenge in the morning?

Some of you might be wondering if Manhattanhenge is visible at sunrise. The answer is yes, but you’ll have to wait until late in the year or at the very start of next year to see it. Once again, there are four opportunities, this time flanking the date of the winter solstice on Dec. 22. We now must look 180 degrees in the opposite direction, toward an azimuth of 120 degrees or 30 degrees south of due east. The first chance comes on Dec. 9 as the sun continues to shift to the south, with a “full sun” at 7:13 a.m. EST, followed by a “half sun” on Dec.10 at 7:12 a.m. EST.

After the solstice, the sun reverses course and begins to shift back to the north. On Jan. 1, we’ll see a “half sun” at 7:26 a.m. EST, followed the next morning by a “full sun” at 7:28 a.m. EST.

Keep in mind, however, that unlike with sunset, there are more likely to be local obstructions to your visibility of the rising sun. Those living in Upper Manhattan and Harlem must contend with buildings and structures rising up from The Bronx; those on the Upper East Side and Midtown will be looking toward Queens, while those in the East Village, down to Houston Street, are facing Brooklyn edifices.

Of course, in attempting to see or photograph Manhattanhenge in the morning, one must also consider that the ambient late fall/early winter morning air temperature is likely to be anywhere from 30 to 60 degrees F. colder compared to late spring/early summer evenings, and there could even be some snow underfoot (especially in January). And lastly, the weather odds for a clear and sunny winter morning are considerably less favorable compared to having a clear and sunny summer evening.

But whenever you attempt to see it, be it summer or winter, evening or morning, we wish you good luck and clear skies!

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope, The Old Farmer’s Almanac and other publications.