Manhattanhenge Returns To New York City On July 12. Here's How To See It

It's Your Last Chance To See 'Manhattanhenge' This Year

Get set for Manhattanhenge. The stunning semi-annual sunset that aligns perfectly with Manhattan's street grid will return to New York City for the final time this year on Sunday, July 12.

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At 8:20 p.m. EDT on Sunday, weather permitting, the setting sun will be fully visible between the skyscrapers lining the borough's major east-west streets. On Monday, July 13 at 8:21 p.m. EDT, the sun will be partially visible.

If you're in town at the time, the best places from which to view the dramatic solar phenomenon will be along 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, and 57th Streets. So says Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, who coined the name "Manhattanhenge" several years ago. The name, of course, is a nod to Stonehenge, the celebrated neolithic monument near Salisbury, England.

Unlike Stonehenge, which was built along a true east-west axis, Manhattan's street grid is imperfectly aligned with the directions of the compass. So Manhattanhenge occurs not when the sun sets at true west, but rather when it sets 30 degrees off from true west.

If you happen to miss this stunning light show, don't worry. The spectacle will recur around May 28, 2016.

Send us your Manhattanhenge photos! Share them using hashtag #HuffPostHenge. We'll be collecting user photos from all over, and yours may be featured on HuffPost Science's site and social media platforms.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this post misstated the date for the next Manhattanhenge in 2016 as March, rather than May.

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