Thousands of people came out on the street to capture the spectacular ‘Manhattanhenge’ sunset, wherein the sun sinks slowly and aligns flawlessly with the east-west streets of Manhattan, creating a glowing ball of light in between the sky-high buildings.
This phenomenon has been seen for the second time in the year and can also be termed as the final appearance of 2016.
Thousands line streets of New York for glimpse of rare #Manhattanhenge phenomenon https://t.co/umJyiDBGRC pic.twitter.com/h2hdK7g835
— Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) July 12, 2016
Stunning shot of the sun aligning with the streets of NYC last night. #Manhattanhenge: @maximusupinNYc pic.twitter.com/KoAd6eVGJ3 — Good Morning America (@GMA) July 12, 2016
The name ‘Manhattanhenge’ was given by Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of New York's Hayden Planetarium. The name was derived from the Stonehenge, the primitive monument in England that famously aligns with the climbing sun. It is also one of the wonders of the world and draws scores of visitors from across the globe every year.
Manhattan is one of the rare places that gets to witness nature’s unusual phenomenon. Some of the famous streets of Manhattan that could give some amazing views are 14th, 34th, 42nd and 57th.
Baltimore and Chicago are two other cities which are less popular but see a similar effect in September and March.
Image credit: The Economist