Twice a year, New Yorkers are able to witness a popular
phenomenon known as "Manhattanhenge" where the sun aligns
perfectly with the city streets resembling the same occurrence
as England's Stonehenge. The term "Manhattanhenge" was actually
coined by astrophysicist and director of the American Museum of
Natural History's Hayden Planetarium Neil deGrasse Tyson back in
2002. He coined it because the light cascading down the west-
east streets mimicked the light that shines through the stones
during the summer solstice in the Salisbury Plain in England.
"Manhattanhenge" usually happens around the summer solstice and
not on the solstice itself because of the way the streets were
arranged. The famous Manhattan grid pattern has been duplicated
all over the world and has allowed for this man-made event.
Based on the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 the streets do not fall
perfectly with the geographic north-south line. The street's
grid is rotated some 29 degrees east which is why
"Manhattanhenge" does not fall on the exa