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These Are the 4 Days You Can Take Manhattanhenge Photos This Year

By Nicole Levy | May 15, 2017 2:35pm | Updated on May 29, 2017 1:06pm
 Manhattanhenge will stun New Yorkers on May 29 and 30 and July 12 and 13 this year.
Manhattanhenge will stun New Yorkers on May 29 and 30 and July 12 and 13 this year.
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UPPER WEST SIDE — Hopefully, the clouds will make way for Manhattanhenge.

The arresting natural phenomenon that occurs when the sun sets in perfect alignment with the East-West axis of Manhattan's street grid will be back for Memorial Day, offering New Yorkers picture-perfect views from the borough's widest crosstown streets.

The forecast could put a damper on the night, but the sun is set to appear on the horizon as a semicircle peeking out between skyscrapers when it sets Monday night at 8:13 p.m., according to the American Museum of Natural History.

Tuesday night at 8:20 p.m., which is also on deck to be overcast, photographers can capture the brightly burning sphere in its entirety along the view corridor. The museum is also offering a Manhattanhenge event on Tuesday with astrophysicist Jackie Faherty at the Hayden Planetarium.

The museum recommends that spectators position themselves on 14th, 34th, 42nd, 57th or 79th streets at least a half-hour before the time of sunset to get the best views.

It was the director of AMNH's Hayden Planetarium, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who coined the term "Manhattanhenge" as a play on Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument where the sun aligns with stones to a similar effect on the morning of the summer solstice.

Those who miss the first round of Manhattanhenge this year will get a repeat showing on July 12 and 13.