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People stand in the middle of 42nd Street in Times Square for the first Manhattanhenge of 2026 in New York City, on May 28, 2026. “Manhattanhenge,” coined by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, is a phenomenon where the sun perfectly aligns with Manhattan’s street grid, allowing it to be seen directly between the city’s skyscrapers. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n AFP via Getty Images<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n The so-called \u201cManhattanhenge\u201d may be grabbing headlines across New York City on Thursday and Friday this week, but the famous sunset alignment is not really a two-night event.<\/p>\n Although the precise moment when the sun appears perfectly framed by Manhattan\u2019s grid happens on only four evenings each year, the broader \u201cManhattanhenge Effect\u201d lasts for about 44 days \u2014 creating weeks of spectacular sunsets between the city\u2019s skyscrapers.<\/p>\n The phenomenon begins with this weekend\u2019s first Manhattanhenge sunsets and continues through July 12, when the final alignment of the summer occurs.<\/p>\n Manhattanhenge occurs when the setting sun aligns exactly with Manhattan\u2019s east-west streets, creating dramatic sunset views framed by rows of skyscrapers.<\/p>\n In 2026, the first event took place on Thursday, May 28 at 8:14 p.m. EDT (\u201chalf sun on the grid\u201d) and the second will take place on Friday, May 29 at 8:13 p.m. EDT (\u201cfull sun on the grid\u201d).<\/p>\n The \u201chalf sun\u201d event is when the sun \u201ckisses the grid,\u201d with only the upper half of the solar disk visible above the horizon. The following evening, the entire disk appears suspended between buildings just before sunset.<\/p>\n The second pair of almost identical events will occur again on July 11 and July 12 \u2014 in 44 days.<\/p>\n New Yorkers gather on 42nd Street near Times Square to see the “Manhattanhenge” solar spectacle on May 28 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Craig T Fruchtman\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n Getty Images<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/section>\n Manhattanhenge is best thought of as a season rather than a single moment. Between May 28 and July 12, sunset viewers can watch the sun gradually shift position within the grid. Each evening, the sun appears slightly farther north until the June solstice, after which the motion reverses and the sunset point drifts south again. The result is more than six weeks of sunsets framed by Manhattan\u2019s streets.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The extended effect is caused by the slow daily change in the sunset position on the horizon. Earth\u2019s axis is tilted by about 23.5 degrees, causing the sun\u2019s rising and setting positions to migrate throughout the year. The sunset point reaches its northernmost extreme on the June solstice before reversing direction.<\/p>\n If Manhattan\u2019s streets were aligned perfectly east-west, Manhattanhenge would happen exactly on the equinoxes. However, the borough\u2019s grid is rotated about 30 degrees east of true north, shifting the alignments into late May and July.<\/p>\nWhat Happens During Manhattanhenge?<\/h2>\n
What Is The \u2018Manhattanhenge Effect?\u2019<\/h2>\n
Why The \u2018Manhattanhenge Effect\u2019 Lasts So Long<\/h2>\n