The New York Solstice: Solar Alignment Leaves Manhattan Looking Like a Modern-Day Stonehenge

The New York Solstice: Solar Alignment Leaves Manhattan Looking Like a Modern-Day Stonehenge

For just 15 minutes the sun sets in exact alignment with the cross streets of Manhattan's street grid, making the city's towering building look something like a modern-day Stonehenge.
While we have long-marvelled at the beauty of our prehistoric monument in the Salisbury plains of England, Americans have been in awe of the unique urban phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge.
Twice a year the sun aligns to bathe the city in glowing light

(visit the link for the full news article)www.dailymail.co.uk...


Related News Links:
www.nbcnewyork.com
www.haydenplanetarium.org
loftlifemag.com
www.haydenplanetarium.org

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Mysterious Manhatttenhenge July 12 2009, 12 Avenues, July 11 2009 , & The Number 11

[edit on 1-6-2009 by burntheships]

July 11th 2009 at 8:25 p.m. the cosmic event bathes Manhattten in unusual sunset illumination. This event was desinged back in 1811 as part of The Commisioners Plan...

The second opportunity to see the phenomenon comes later in the summer with another half-sphere sunset on Sunday, July 12.

The exquisite sight has occurred since buildings north of 14th St. were laid out in a grid pattern back in the 19th century, but it's only recently begun to garner a following. Photographers clamor to get to the best spot to capture the celestial phenomenon.

Looking west along 42nd Street at 8:23 p.m. on July 13, 2006. This photo shows the sun lined up with the center line of 42nd Street. It actually set slightly to the right. It set on the center line on July 12.

en.wikipedia.org...

Whispered and translucent signals are becoming much easier to apprehend as the veil thins rapidly.



(visit the link for the full news article)

Not to take anything away from this event, but I have looked at all the links in both threads, and I haven't seen anything resembling Stonehenge?!?

Is this just a case of the sun lining up with the streets twice a year? That happens in every city at least twice a year. It usually annoys the h*ll out of me, because I can't see to drive!

Are there some other photos where this looks like more than a city street?

reply to post by getreadyalready


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The significance of course is subjective.

The times of this event are set every year by the astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, who coined the term "Manhattanhenge."

New York isn't the only city that can have its own 'henge' events.
Any city crossed by a rectangular grid has days where the setting sun aligns with the streets.

The "henge" comes of course from Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in the Salisbury plains of England. The large structure of stones and earthen mounds is thought to be a burial ground that was oriented to face the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset.

Manhattan's street grid doesn't run geographically north to south, but instead aligns itself with the direction of the island. If the grid did run north-south, Manhattanhenge would fall on the spring and autumn equinoxes, the only two days during the year when the Sun rises due-east and sets due-west. (The equinoxes occur when the sun sits directly over the Earth's equator and the length of day and night are roughly equal.)

Because Manhattan's grid is rotated 28.9 degrees east from geographic north, the days of alignment with the cross streets are also shifted.

www.space.com...
Manhattan's street grid was laid down by the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, which was adopted by the New York State Legislature.

This event that happens twice every year creates radiant sunsets that burst across the Manhatten brick and steel canyons, simultaneously illuminating both the north and south sides of every street.

It is said to be a rare and beautiful sight.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7fecf9b68eb0.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/80a5afe03024.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by burntheships


Thanks for the post and explanation. I guess it is all relative. It just doesn't seem mysterious at all, and the relation to Stone Henge is a big stretch. New York doesn't even have one of the prettiest sky lines in my opinion.

Maybe the numerology you mentioned is interesting, but the alignment would have to illuminate some mysterious object, or message, or the like.

Sorry to be a downer, I just thought I might be missing something in my reading of the whole thing.

manhattanhenge. such a cool sight. I'll try and snap some pictures if I'm around.

reply to post by getreadyalready


You must look deep, and there is not an exact answer as to the complete picture, as there is still too much to come.

I certainly agree with you about the sunset, and the beauty. I would much rather look at a sunset on a beach, or a mountain top. New York is not my best cup of tea.

Though I am certaintly drawn to the mystery....the dates and the alignment...led on by the tragic historical events that have happened in New York.

It's necessary to know this angle to calculate the dates of “Manhattan Solstice,” which the very same section of the Times discussed in the May 21, 2006 edition of the F.Y.I. column. On (or about) May 28 and July 13, the setting sun is oriented with the streets of Manhattan, causing a dramatic casting of long shadows. On (or about) December 5 and January 8, the rising sun has a similar effect. Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, who suppled the Times with these dates, obviously knows the 29° figure. (The F.Y.I. column stated that “the Manhattan grid is angled 30 degrees east from geographic north.”)

In “City of Angles,” Sam Roberts says that the 29° offset is “the reason that, looking west on the first day of summer, you couldn't see the sun set down the middle of any crosstown street, but you could have on May 28 and can again on July 13.” Actually, if the Manhattan grid were oriented with the points of the compass, the sun would rise and set parallel to the streets on the two equinoxes, not the solstice. On the vernal and autumnal equinox, the sun rises at due east and sets at due west everywhere in the world. During the summer months, the sun seems to rise north of due east, and set north of due west, and during the winter months, the sun seems to rise south of due east, and set south of due west. The maximum deviation occurs on the summer and winter solstices, but the actual angle of deviation depends on the latitude of the observer. In New York City, this maximum deviation obviously has to be greater than 29° to result in two winter days and two summer days of Manhattan Solstice.

www.charlespetzold.com...



[edit on 1-6-2009 by burntheships]

when the thrush knocks (oooh my neck)
and the last light of the setting sun
will shine upon the keyhole (ooooh my forehead)

-

Tales of the New York obelisks

And what is the mystery?
Simply that if you draw a straight line from the obelisk in St Paul’s churchyard to the obelisk in Central Park, it will pass directly through the site of the Worth obelisk at 25th Street -- the three obelisks are directly aligned, pointing roughly 29 degrees east of north, slightly off the central Manhattan axis of Fifth Avenue.

www.forgotten-ny.com...