Best places to see Manhattanhenge 2012 July 11/12

Manhattanhenge is the few days each year when the sun sets directly through the center of Manhattan cross streets. Manhattanhenge is a play on words for Stonehenge, and it’s fascinating to see, with or without a camera and tripod. The best places to see Manhattanhenge 2012 are as far east in Manhattan as possible, where you can see west across the avenues all the way to New Jersey. Ideal streets include 14th, 23rd, 34th. 42nd, and 57th. Best of all is the transverse across 42nd Street, at First Avenue.

Last year, I was part of a huge crowd of photographers and other Manhattanhenge fans, waiting for the perfect moment. Unfortunately, clouds prevented the picture postcard photo.  But I had a great time anyway, and got some interesting twilight shots of 42nd Street and the Chrysler Building. The Hayden Planetarium’s  Neil deGrasse Tyson calls it Manhattanhenge a unique urban phenomenon in the world, if not the universe. Manhattenhenge 2012 is this week –

• Half-sun on the grid: Thursday, July 12 – 8:25 p.m.
• Full-sun on the grid: Wednesday, July 11 – 8:24 p.m.