Don’t Miss Tonight’s ‘Manhattanhenge’ As Sun ‘Kisses The Grid’ In NYC

Published Sat, Jul 11, 2026

Topline

New York City’s last Manhattanhenge sunsets of the year are here, giving skywatchers and photographers one final chance in 2026 to see one of the world’s most spectacular urban astronomy events. On two evenings — Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12 — the setting sun will align with Manhattan’s street grid, creating a dramatic sunset framed by the borough’s skyscrapers. Crowds are expected to gather along major Midtown cross streets as the sun appears to hang between buildings before slipping below the horizon. It comes exactly a month before a partial solar eclipse — the result of another solar alignment — will be visible from New York City, as well as from northeastern U.S. states and Canada.

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)

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Key Facts

According to the American Museum of Natural History, the July Manhattanhenge events occur on Saturday, July 11, at 8:20 p.m. EDT, when a “full sun on the grid” is visible, and Sunday, July 12, at 8:21 p.m. EDT, when a “half sun on the grid” is visible. The July dates are the final official Manhattanhenge alignments of 2026.

Saturday, July 11, see the entire disk of the sun appear just above the road, centered on Manhattan’s grid, shortly before it sinks below the horizon.

Sunday, July 12, brings the “half sun” version, when the sun sets directly on the grid, but only its upper half remains visible above the horizon.

According to NBC, Chicago has a similar event — called Chicagohenge — that next occurs on Sept. 19-22.

People take pictures during a Manhattanhenge sunset along 42nd Street in Times Square on May 28, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)

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Why Manhattanhenge Happens

Manhattanhenge occurs out of sync with the summer solstice because Manhattan’s street grid is not aligned exactly north-south and east-west. Instead, it’s rotated about 30 degrees east of true north. That geometry allows the setting sun to line up with the borough’s cross streets on specific dates either side of the summer solstice. As Earth orbits the sun, the sunset point shifts along the horizon through the year. The sun sets due west around the March and September equinoxes, while near the June solstice it sets farthest to the northwest. Twice before and twice after the solstice, the sunset angle lines up with Manhattan’s grid, creating the phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge. The term was coined by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson in reference to England’s Stonehenge, which is aligned to the rising sun on the summer solstice.

Best Places To Watch Manhattanhenge

The farther east you stand, the more dramatic the canyon-like effect becomes, because more buildings frame the sun along the street. Popular intersections can become crowded, so arriving early is recommended, especially around 34th and 42nd Streets. According to the American Museum of Natural History, the best viewing locations are Manhattan’s broad cross streets with clear views west toward the Hudson River. Prime spots include 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street and 57th Street. Photographers also favor the Tudor City Overpass and Hunter’s Point South Park in Queens, where the alignment can be captured with a wider skyline view.

Workers from The Beam watch a partial solar eclipse from the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center on April 08, 2024 in New York City. While New York City isn't in the path of totality, it will see up to 90% of the sun covered by the moon. Around New York and in the path of totality, millions of residents and tourists are preparing for a total solar eclipse. This is the first solar eclipse to pass through North America in seven years and will be the last that will be visible from the United States until 2044. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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New York’s Solar Eclipse In August

Manhattanhenge is not the only solar spectacle visible from New York City in 2026. One month later, on Wednesday, Aug. 12, New Yorkers will see a partial solar eclipse. From New York City, the moon will cover only a small portion of the sun from 1:08 p.m. EDT through 2:39 p.m. EDT, peaking at about 10% obscuration at 1:54 p.m. EDT. At that time, the sun will be high in the sky, so it will be easy to see from across the city.

The eclipse will be much more dramatic elsewhere: it will be a total solar eclipse along a narrow path crossing parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain, while most of Europe, the U.S. and Canada will see only a partial eclipse. In the U.S., the best views outside Alaska will be in the northeast, with more of the sun eclipsed by the moon in locations northeast of NYC. For example, Boston, Massachusetts, will see 16%, and Bangor, Maine, 24%. Nowhere in North America will there be darkness or totality, so eclipse glasses will be required throughout the entire event.