Manhattanhenge 2016: Get Your Instagrams Ready for the Last One This Year

The last Manhattanhenge of the year happens Monday and Tuesday night this week, so get your newsfeed brain prepared and your Instagram filters set for a perfectly visible urban setting sun.

What is a Manhattanhenge?

You've probably heard this buzzword multiple times and seen it pouring into your feeds twice a year. It refers to the two days a year when you can perfectly see the Manhattan sun setting through the streets that go east and west as if the sun was setting for you and only you. It's a cinematic experience that's to be seen IRL at least once in your life. And fun fact: astrophysicist, New Yorker, and millennial scientist favorite Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term.

When is a Manhattanhenge?

Twice a year, usually around May 28 and July 12. The last two of this year are:

Full Sun: Monday, July 11th at 8:20 p.m.

Half Sun: Tuesday, July 12th at 8:20 p.m.

Where is a Manhattanhenge?

Go as far east as possible but so you can also see New Jersey in the west. Good cross streets are 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 57th, and several streets adjacent to them, according to the American Museum of Natural History.

Why is a Mahhattanhenge?

Manhattan's streets are 30 degrees east from geographic north, which means Manhattanhence is basically a winter and summer solstice but when rotated 30 degrees. Manhattan is also thought to be an ideal environment for a setting sun as the streets on the grid are straight, and the buildings align, to create the perfect sunset in the distance.

How is a Manhattanhenge?

Manhattanhenge's popularity has come about thanks to social media and the never-ending competition to get that viral shot. The urgency is there because the next one won't happen until May of 2017, so happy Manhattanhengeing, everyone!

Image by Nishant Khurana/Flickr/Creative Commons