Crowds gathered in New York on Tuesday evening as onlookers tried to catch a glimpse of ‘Manhattanhenge’.

The solar event that brings New Yorkers to the streets twice a year will continue tonight before disappearing from the skies once again.

So what is ‘Manhattanhenge’?

New York City is built on a grid. It’s a practical way of city planning, but also means that in May and July some of its long, straight streets become filled with light equally on both sides.

It gets its name from Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. During the summer solstice, Stonehenge comes to life as the sun aligns with its standing rocks.

In a similar way, the streets of Manhattan fill with golden light when the setting sun perfectly aligns with the city’s grid.

The phenomenon draws thousands of people out to try and catch a glimpse – and to get a good photo.

Man suffers burns after flaming liquid thrown at him on New York subway

Portal connecting Dublin and New York ‘reawakens’ under new restrictions after ‘inappropriate behaviour’

Steve Buscemi: Homeless man charged over random assault on Hollywood actor in New York City street

Clouds thwarted them last night however, and the sun was mostly obscured.

There’ll be one more opportunity tonight, although the Met Office predicts the skies will be partially cloudy.

‘Manhattanhenge’ will then return on 12 and 13 July.

The American Museum of Natural History recommends 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street and 57th Street as good spots to watch the sunset.

“Find a spot as far east as possible that still has views of New Jersey across the Hudson River,” it says in a blog post on the phenomenon.

Why does it happen?

The point at which the sun sets on the horizon creeps north until the summer solstice, on 20 July this year, and then moves back south. This is because the Earth tilts on its axis as it rotates around the sun.

“Manhattanhenge may be a unique urban phenomenon in the world,” according to the American Museum of Natural History because the borough has a clear view of the horizon unlike many grid cities and its roads are perfectly straight.

It’s a special year for astronomy in the US.

Read more from Sky News:
Ancient Egyptians performed cancer surgery, evidence indicates
Planet that could support human life discovered ‘close’ to Earth
New images help scientists understand how universe is changing

Last month, people across the US, Canada and Mexico were treated to a total solar eclipse. People cried and cheered as the sun became obscured by the moon.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Then, earlier this month, night owls around the northern hemisphere got a surprise treat as the Northern Lights lit up the sky.

The sun is in its most active period in its 11-year cycle, meaning there may be more Northern Lights displays in the very near future.

Related posts:

Network of accounts that claimed COVID vaccine turns people into chimps taken down by Facebook Google paves way to expand UK workforce with £730m office investment Ocado and Virgin chiefs urge Johnson to put driverless cars in fast lane Facial recognition company Clearview AI fined £7.5m for collecting Brits’ images Forecasters fear ‘turbo-charged’ Atlantic hurricane season due to ‘Loop Current’ iPhone 14 calls emergency services on rollercoasters due to crash safety feature Today in China, it’s the end of the world (of Warcraft) The ‘perfect’ man and woman – according to AI Distant exoplanet ‘could have water ocean and signs of life’ One of the worst invasive species could be heading to the UK due to global warming – study Elon Musk refuses to answer if his ‘ignorance and ego’ cost Ukrainian lives Magic mushrooms effective for treating depression – study