New York City: What is the phenomenon known as 'Manhattanhenge'?

On 28 and 29 May, locals and tourists in New York were treated to a magical sight, known as 'Manhattanhenge'.

Thousands of people gathered to get a snap of it before it disappeared.

But what is it?

Essentially, Manhattanhenge is a sunset, but what makes it so special is down to the way the city of New York was built.

All the streets were constructed in a perfect grid, meaning you can see really far down some of them.

Twice a year, when the Earth is in the right position in relation to the Sun, the sunset is aligned perfectly with Manhattan's skyscrapers, and can be seen framed between the buildings.

The phenomenon happens every year - this photo is from May 2023

The sunset happens every May and July for two nights, and there's a sunrise version in Winter. Thousands of tourists and locals come to see the spectacle every year, in order to get the perfect photo.

Similar 'henge' phenomena also occur in other cities with large amounts of skyscrapers and long straight streets - such as Chicago, Montreal and Toronto.

Famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson came up with the term Manhattanhenge in 1997. He was inspired by its likeness to Stonehenge here in the UK, because on the Summer and Winter solstice, the Sun also aligns with the stones there.

There are certain streets in Manhattan where it can be seen best

The next Manhattanhenge will take place on 12 July at 20:20 and on 13 July at 20:21 local time.

The streets with the best view are 57th Street, 42nd Street, 34th Street, 23rd Street and 14th Street, according to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

This is what it looked like...