When, Where & How to See the Last Manhattanhenge of 2024

The unique phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge brings us the mesmerizing sight of the setting or rising Sun between the skyscrapers. By the way, the next Manhattanhenge will be observed very soon – on November 30, 2024! If you live in or are visiting Manhattan at the time, don't miss your chance to see this spectacle. If you’re not a New Yorker, don’t rush to leave this page: you can have Manhattanhenge at home! The Ephemeris app will help you. Now, let’s get down to business: it’s time to learn when and how to see the city streets transforming into stunning corridors of light.

Contents

• What is Manhattanhenge?
• When is Manhattanhenge?
  • Sunset Manhattanhenge
  • Reverse (Sunrise) Manhattanhenge
• How to observe Manhattanhenge?
  • Where to go?
  • Tips for the best experience
• Is Manhattanhenge only possible in Manhattan?
  • How to see Your-City-Henge?
• Manhattanhenge: to sum up

What is Manhattanhenge?

Manhattanhenge is an event that occurs when the rising or setting Sun shines through the gaps between New York’s buildings, creating an impressive visual spectacle. This remarkable phenomenon is a result of the city’s street design established in 1811.

Manhattan’s streets are organized in a grid pattern. The main streets run from west to east (such as 14th Street and 42nd Street), while the avenues run perpendicular to them, from south to north (such as Fifth Avenue). The street grid is oriented approximately 29 degrees clockwise from the true north. This means that when the Sun sets and rises at a specific azimuth (the angle measured clockwise around the observer's horizon from North), it aligns perfectly with the east-west streets, allowing for the Sun to shine directly down the streets.

When is Manhattanhenge?

If Manhattan’s street grid were lined up with the geographic cardinal directions, then Manhattanhenge would coincide with the spring and autumn equinoxes when the sunrise and sunset azimuths are 90 and 270 degrees, respectively. However, since the street grid is turned 29 degrees clockwise, the alignment of the Sun and the streets shifts to different dates:

• The Sunset Manhattanhenge occurs when the sunset azimuth is around 299 degrees. It happens twice a year, 22-23 days before the June solstice (in late May) and 22-23 days after it (in mid-July).
• The Reverse, or Sunrise, Manhattanhenge occurs when the sunrise azimuth is around 119 degrees. It happens twice a year, 22-23 days before the December solstice (in late November) and 22-23 days after it (in early January).

Sunset Manhattanhenge

Sunset Manhattanhenge gets all the hype: it receives more massive media coverage that leads to larger crowds. To see it, you should observe from east-west streets, facing towards the west.

Here are the dates for the nearest Sunset Manhattanhenge:

• May 28, 2025, 08:07 p.m. EDT
• May 29, 2025, 08:07 p.m. EDT
• July 12, 2025, 08:15 p.m. EDT
• July 13, 2025, 08:15 p.m. EDT

*For the Manhattanhenge event, we need to adjust for hills, buildings and other things in the way to see the unobstructed Sun, so we provide the timings for a moment when the Sun is approximately 1 degree above the horizon.

Reverse (Sunrise) Manhattanhenge

The Sunrise Manhattanhenge, also known as Reverse Manhattanhenge, is not that popular: it occurs in mid-January and late November, but since the mornings are typically cold and cloudy at this time of year, few people are willing to witness it. Like the Sunset Manhattanhenge, it can be observed from east-west streets; you just have to face the opposite direction.

Here are the dates for the nearest Sunrise Manhattanhenge:

• November 29, 2024, 07:10 a.m. EST
• November 30, 2024, 07:11 a.m. EST
• January 11, 2025, 07:30 a.m. EST
• January 12, 2025, 07:30 a.m. EST

*For the Manhattanhenge event, we need to adjust for hills, buildings and other things in the way to see the unobstructed Sun, so we provide the timings for a moment when the Sun is approximately 1 degree above the horizon.

How to observe Manhattanhenge?

Where to go?

The best streets for viewing are those that run east-west. Popular locations include:

• 14th Street
• 23rd Street
• 34th Street
• 42nd Street
• 57th Street

Find an area with a clear view of the horizon, preferably without tall buildings obstructing your view. As a rule, observers choose to stand in the middle of the street, so mind the traffic.

Tips for the best experience

• Check the weather. Heavy clouds will ruin all the fun.
• Don’t look directly at the Sun. Bring solar viewing glasses for your eyes and solar filters for your camera. Never look through the viewfinder when photographing the Sun – only look at the image on the camera’s rear screen.
• Dress for the weather, as you may be outside for a while.
• Arrive early. Get to your chosen spot at least 30 minutes before sunset/sunrise to secure a good viewing position.

Is Manhattanhenge only possible in Manhattan?

While the term “Manhattanhenge” specifically refers to the phenomenon occurring in New York, other cities with east-west streets aligned similarly to Manhattan can experience their own “henges,” though they may not have a specific name.

• In Chicago, where the street grid is oriented with the cardinal directions, the Sun aligns with the street canyons near the spring and autumn equinoxes. This event is referred to as Chicagohenge.
• In Toronto, Torontohenge occurs when the setting Sun aligns with the east-west streets in mid-February and late October. Montreal also experiences its own version, called Montrealhenge, around mid-June each year.

Similar alignments can also be seen in San Francisco, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Strasbourg, and many other cities around the world.

How to see Your-City-Henge?

To calculate the dates when you can experience the Manhattanhenge effect in your city, you can follow these steps:

1. Understand your city's geography and identify the streets that run east-west, where you’ll observe both sunrise and sunset.
2. Determine the azimuth of your street using a compass. If, by chance, your east-west street is perfectly aligned with true east and west, then the dates of equinoxes will work for you. Otherwise, go on to the next step.
3. Track the sunrise and sunset azimuths for your location via websites or smartphone apps that provide day-by-day solar position data.
4. Pick the days when the azimuth of the sunrise or sunset matches the azimuth of your street. That’s when you’ll see the alignment of the solar disc with the street.

You can use the Ephemeris app to calculate the dates automatically. Launch the app, tap the Menu button in the upper left corner of the main screen, and select the Visual Search tab. Then, customize the search:

• Select the desired altitude of the Sun. You can input the value manually (via slider) or check the sunset or sunrise boxes.
• Select the desired azimuth of sunrise or sunset. For the Manhattanhenge effect, it should be equal to the azimuth of your street.
• Select the desired time period for which you require results. The app can calculate sunset/sunrise azimuths for a month, six months, and a year in advance.

You’ll get the list of all dates and times when the azimuth of the rising and setting Sun will coincide with the azimuth of your street.

Here are a few tips to help you plan your observations:

• Consider visiting your chosen location a day or two in advance to ensure you have a clear line of sight.
• Try pre-visualizing the Sun's path over the sky dome on your chosen date. Launch Ephemeris, set your desired date and time using the bar at the lower part of the main screen, then tap the camera button to enable the AR mode and see the trajectory of the Sun overlaid on the device’s camera image.
• Also, make sure to check local weather conditions on the days you plan to observe, as clouds and other obstructions can affect visibility.

Manhattanhenge: to sum up

Manhattanhenge is a captivating phenomenon that occurs in New York City when the rising or setting Sun aligns perfectly with the city’s street grid. This stunning event takes place four times a year: Sunrise Manhattanhenge typically occurs in mid-January and late November, while Sunset Manhattanhenge graces the skyline in late May and mid-July. If you have east-west running streets in your city, you can observe similar phenomena as well. The Ephemeris app will provide you with insights and notifications that help you make the most of every sunrise and sunset.