Manhattanhenge

We flocked to 14th Street to see the setting sun bathe Manhattan in golden light, but right when things were getting good, the rain came instead. It didn’t stop some resourceful Instagrammers, however, from taking some gorgeous photos of the city we love, in all its gray, soggy, foggy splendor.

Day 2 is tonight, Wednesday the 30th, at 8:25 p.m. Yesterday was just a half-sun, but today is the Real McCoy — a full orb visible as it plummets just past New Jersey, and our city grid aligns with the sunset so that each street has a fantastic view. 

Wondering what is all this exactly? Why does this happen, and can someone explain all the science-y stuff behind it? We won’t even bother paraphrasing Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space:

He also tells you where to stand for optimal visual splendor. Come a half-hour early, he says, and “for best effect, position yourself as far east in Manhattan as possible. But ensure that when you look west across the avenues you can still see New Jersey. Clear cross streets include 14th, 23rd, 34th. 42nd, 57th, and several streets adjacent to them. The Empire State building and the Chrysler building render 34th street and 42nd streets especially striking vistas.”