What is Manhattanhenge?

14 July 2011 updated at 09: 58 GMT by Virginia Brown magazine BBC News New Yorkers have seen an urban solar phenomenon, with the Sun in alignment with the skyscrapers in the city and giving a fan effect say are reminiscent of Stonehenge in Wiltshire. Welcome to Manhattanhenge.

Two times each year amateur photography meet in carefully selected locations to set up tripods and expect to capture the last sunset.

The Wednesday night at 2025 local time (0125 BST), lying streets from East to West of the city's famous grid system clearly framed sunset, creation of glare of rare gold see New Yorkers.

During the phenomenon, the Sun seems to be perfectly located between the corridors of skyscrapers, illuminating the North and South sides of the streets.

Crowds gather for pictures at 34th Street

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term Manhattanhenge in 1996, inspired by his resemblance to Stonehenge, where the Sun aligns with concentric stone circles vertical on each of the solstices.

"When I was a child, I visited Stonehenge Salisbury Plain of England and research on other monuments of stone in the British Isles." It was deep inside me, "says deGrasse Tyson."

"So I was, somehow, printed by the emotional power that can have terrestrial alignments with the Sun in a culture or civilization."

After coining the term, deGrasse Tyson later published the dates and times in the magazine of Natural history.

The streets East to West 34th Street as perfectly framed the Sun

"Henge" similar phenomena occur also in other cities with a large number of skyscrapers and straight long streets - Chicago, Montreal and Toronto.

How it will sunset - that is true fans Manhattanhenge - event occurs in May and July and for two nights. There is also a winter version, but it is the output of the Sun.

New York photographer Emon Hassan has held Manhattanhenge in his work.

"You will see photographers on both sides, aligned, just waiting." In one area, I could go in the middle of the street and get the shot. Photographers risking their lives to get the perfect shot.

Another impressive view form of skyscrapers along 42nd Street

"It is fierce." You only have a window of 15 to 20 minutes. It is quite fast after dodging traffic.

"Yet I do not know how to articulate that feeling." "It's almost like an eclipse view."

Mario Getty Tama photographer shot at this year's event. He said that the event provides residents with a moment of clarity and beauty in a chaotic world.

"Basically, people in Manhattan are trapped on an island of high buildings and sometimes you don't see the sky really."

The occasion is one day net-letter for hobbyists and professionals

"It is a bright moment when he Taboada can connect with the rest of the world and the Earth." If you exit the Metro on 34th Street, you will see two or three hundred people with tripods jumping on the street. "Normally, when this occurs, there have been a shot or something, so this is really a beautiful thing", says the Tama.

The event has become a social phenomenon in New York City.

"Can find amateur and professional photographers work the other tag on Twitter and get to know other people - people with other interests," says Hassan.

"Manhattan is one of the most fascinating places and this is a one-time event."

Its peculiarity lies in the positioning of the city's design.

See the Empire State building and 34th Street corridor

Plan of the Commissioner of Manhattan in 1811 established his system of grid, which is rotated 29 degrees from true East-West. If the streets of Manhattan were well established in a grid from East to West, Manhattanhenge would happen from East and West in the Equinox, vernal and autumnal.

It also has the advantage over other cities skyscrapers due to a relatively clear view on the horizon some of its streets.

For photographers and people taking a stroll at night, it is just a beautiful light effect.

But for astronomers, it is something more - an opportunity for the participation of lay people and enthusiasts with the studies of the cosmos.

DeGrasse Tyson used the event to make people more interested in astronomy.

"I'll take any excuse I can get for people to search for and watch our cosmic environment", deGrasse Tyson recently told him to PBS television.

The best point of view to see the event, which is described as "the largest of the cosmos with the greatest of our urban icons", at Park Avenue and 34th Street, looking West, said.

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