Manhattanhenge 2025: Where and When to Soak Up the Solar-Powered Event in New York City

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NEED TO KNOW

  • Manhattanhenge is simply a unsocial star arena successful which nan mounting sun aligns perfectly pinch New York City's thoroughfare grid
  • The first of 4 Manhattanhenges of 2025 occurs connected May 28
  • Neil deGrasse Tyson first coined nan word successful 1997

New York is gearing up for aureate hr pinch nan first Manhattanhenge of 2025.

The phenomenon, first coined by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson successful 1997, describes a typical star script successful which nan mounting sun aligns perfectly betwixt New York's towering skyscrapers and thoroughfare grid.

The solar-powered celestial ceremony is simply a item of nan twelvemonth for New Yorkers, and it moreover has famous fans, for illustration And Just Like That... prima Sarah Jessica Parker.

"You want nan buildings to emergence up astir you, and truthful I don't urge ascending buildings aliases watching this from rooftops," Tyson told nan American Museum of Natural History of witnessing nan star event.

He added, "If you watch Manhattanhenge from a rooftop, it's conscionable different sunset," he said.

So, erstwhile will Manhattanhenge hap and really tin New Yorkers watch it? Grab your sunglasses and your camera, because here's everything to cognize astir nan champion measurement to witnesser nan magical New York moment.

What is Manhattanhenge?

Manhattanhenge-like sunset connected July 5, 2021 successful New York City.

 Gary Hershorn/Getty

Manhattanhenge describes nan clip nan mounting sun aligns perfectly pinch New York's thoroughfare grid, allowing nan celestial prima to return halfway shape betwixt nan city's skyscrapers. It happens 4 days a year.

"Manhattanhenge happens arsenic nan sun useful its measurement northbound connected nan sky and towards nan summertime solstice, and connected nan measurement backmost towards nan wintertime solstice

The word Manhattanhenge was inspired by Stonehenge, nan prehistoric English monument that aligned pinch nan movements of nan sun.

Other cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston, besides acquisition a akin "henge" effect successful different points passim nan year.

When will Manhattanhenge 2025 occur?

The sun rises supra 42nd Street during a Manhattanhenge sunrise.

Gary Hershorn/Getty

The first Manhattanhenges of 2025 will hap connected May 28 and May 29.

A "Half Sun connected nan Grid" will hap connected May 28 astatine 8:13 p.m. ET and a "Full Sun connected nan Grid" will look connected May 29 astatine 8:12 p.m. ET

According to nan American Museum of Natural History, "Half Sun connected nan Grid" is erstwhile nan sun is partially obscured by nan horizon, framed by nan metropolis grid, and a "Full Sun" is erstwhile it appears successful full, conscionable supra nan horizon.

If nan Manhattan grid really matched pinch nan geographic north-south line, past Manhattanhenge would sync up pinch nan outpouring and autumn equinoxes, "the 2 days connected nan almanac erstwhile nan Sun rises owed eastbound and sets owed west," Tyson explained.

"But Manhattan is rotated 30° eastbound from nan geographic north, shifting nan typical days elsewhere successful nan calendar," he added.

How tin I witnesser Manhattanhenge 2025?

People return photographs of Manhattanhenge astatine 42nd Street successful Times Square.

Spencer Platt/Getty

The champion vantage points to witnesser Manhattanhenge are on nan city's awesome streets that tally east/west and connection a clear position crossed nan land towards New Jersey. Those main streets include:

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

Other premier spots see nan Tudor City Overpass successful Manhattan and Hunter’s Point South Park successful Long Island City, Queens.

How early should I show up for Manhattanhenge 2025?

People guidelines astatine 42nd Street to watch nan sun group during Manhattanhenge.

Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress

Manhattanhenge is simply a celebrated event, 1 that quickly attracts crowds. Time Out New York recommends getting to your vantage spot astir 30 to 40 minutes earlier showtime.

“The full thoroughfare tin get unopen down pinch group conscionable taking it over,” Dr. Jackie Faherty, an astronomer astatine nan American Museum of Natural History told nan New York Post. “You person to beryllium successful nan mediate of nan thoroughfare to spot nan phenomenon, and there’s this different pesky point successful nan mediate of nan street, which is cars — you person to get distant from nan cars.”

How agelong will Manhattanhenge 2025 last?

People watch and photograph nan sunset connected 42nd Street during Manhattanhenge.

Volkan Furuncu/Anadolu Agency/Getty

The magical Manhattanhenge effect only lasts a fewer minutes, truthful soak up each second!

"When nan sun peaks its first rays of ray beyond that building, nan crowd tends to spell wild," Faherty told Space.com.

"It's nan introduction moment, like, is it going to come? Is it going to come? And past pow, it's there," she continued. "Then you get to spot it do its creation each nan measurement down, buss nan grid, ray you up successful each these gorgeous colors, earlier its melodramatic exit."

When is nan adjacent Manhattanhenge?

Protesters guidelines connected nan thoroughfare arsenic they watch nan arena known arsenic Manhattanhenge.

Pablo Monsalve/VIEWpress via Getty 

After May 28 and May 29, nan adjacent Manhattanhenge will ray up nan entity connected July 11 and July 12.

The American Museum of Natural History will beryllium hosting a Manhattanhenge event connected July 11, which includes a "lecture and viewing arena celebrating nan past opportunity to spot nan Manhattanhenge effect successful 2025."