West 70th Street, looking west
Tonight, a natural annual phenomenon known as the Manhattanhenge is set to occur in the city at 8:21 p.m. During an occurrence such as this, the entirety of the sun will shine on our grid for about ten minutes, then on Saturday, it will continue to occur, but only half the sun will be visible.
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As always, the best viewing spots in Manhattan are the main east-west “routes” including 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street, 57th Street, the overpasses at Tudor City and Grand Central, and West 145th Street at Amsterdam Avenue.
It can also be viewed at West 79th Street near the American Museum of Natural History, which is hosting a block party tonight in conjunction with an indoor event where AMNH’s senior scientist, Jackie Faherty, will host a “3D presentation about the science and history behind Manhattanhenge, the phenomenon when the setting Sun perfectly aligns with the cross streets of the grid of Manhattan to create a stunning visual spectacle, using the Museum’s powerful OpenSpace visualization software.”
Unfortunately, the forecast calls for rain both tonight and on Saturday, which would obscure the views–but the event at the American Museum of Natural History will happen rain or shine.
Should the weather be decent enough to capture proper photos, there are a number of streets other than those mentioned above where one can glimpse this natural wonder. Two such streets on the UWS are West 70th and West 72nd, but if you do choose those options, please be mindful of the traffic.
