By Scott Etkin
New Yorkers hoping to view Manhattanhenge – the twice-annual alignment of the sunset with the city’s street grid – were disappointed last night. Rainy conditions blocked out the possibility of viewing the spectacle.
There’s another chance to view it tonight, May 29th at 8:12 p.m., when the sun will be exactly aligned with the grid. But conditions aren’t looking favorable. Tonight’s forecast is “mostly cloudy with a shower in places,” according to AccuWeather.
When it isn’t too cloudy, crowds typically congregate to view Manhattanhenge along main East-West thoroughfares, including 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, and 42nd Street. Popular viewing locations from the Upper West Side include West 72nd Street and West 57th Street.
If conditions don’t pan out tonight, there will be another opportunity to view Manhattanhenge in a few months. Mark your calendars for July 11th (at 8:20 p.m.) and July 12th (at 8:22 p.m.), as long as the clouds cooperate.
The term Manhattanhenge is said to have been coined by Neil deGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium. To read more information about Manhattanhenge from the American Museum of Natural History, click – HERE.
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No Manhattanhenge May 28/29 this year because of the rain.
The next Manhattanhenge will now occurs on July 11th, and July 12th. Specifically, the first event on May 28th /29th would have showcase the top half of the sun aligned with the city grid, while the May 29th event would have feature the full sun. Later in the summer, the pattern reverses: the full sun will be visible on July 11th, and the half-sun on July 12th.
Also, this year there has been (since March 1) 14 weekends of rain (including this weekend coming up).
Nothing but ⛈️ rain and clouds this year on May 28 and 29th a total disaster.👎
May be we’ll be back for the sun hopefully back from upstate in the Adirondack Mountains on July 11 & 12 towards end of the hot summer and the coming of the autumn. 🎃
Happy Summer ereyone ☔️