CITY
The spectacle of Manhattanhenge: twice a year, the sun stops the streets of New York City
Manhattanhenge, also known as the Manhattan solstice, is a phenomenon in which the setting of the sun is perfectly aligned with the streets running east-west through the borough of Manhattan, the 'island' of New York.
This phenomenon, which literally paralyses the streets of the Big Apple for a few minutes, occurs twice a year, at exactly the same distance from the summer solstice. The first occurs, in terms of time, around 28 May, while the second generally occurs around 12 July.
This phenomenon is named after the famous scientific divuigator Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History.
What is Manhattanhenge: one of the most anticipated events in all of New York City
Manhattanhenge, also called Manhattan solstice, is a phenomenon in which the setting of the sun is perfectly aligned with the streets that cross the borough of Manhattan, or the 'island' of New York, in an east-west direction.
What is Manhattanhenge: one of the most anticipated events in all of New York City
This phenomenon, which literally paralyses the streets of the Big Apple for a few minutes, occurs twice every year, at exactly the same distance from the summer solstice. The first is around 28 May, while the second usually occurs around 12 July.
What is Manhattanhenge: one of the most anticipated events in all of New York City
The name of this phenomenon is attributed to the famous scientific divuigator Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History.
What is Manhattanhenge: one of the most anticipated events in all of New York City
The word is an obvious reference to the archaeological site Stonehenge, an ancient Druidic temple in Wiltshire (England) where, according to researchers, during the summer solstice, the sun disc aligns with the 'heel stone', placed at the entrance to the site.
What is Manhattanhenge: one of the most anticipated events in all of New York City
According to the Commissioners' Plan of 1811, the metropolitan grid of most streets on the island of Manhattan is rotated 29° clockwise from true east-west. As a result, at the moment when the azimuth of sunset is 299° (i.e., 29° north of true west), the Sun is perfectly aligned with the grid of streets, creating, as can be seen from the pictures, a spectacle that is truly unique to see in a place like the Big Apple.
What is Manhattanhenge: one of the most anticipated events in all of New York City
The exact dates may vary from year to year, but they remain very close to the summer solstice, which generally occurs around 21 June.
What is Manhattanhenge: one of the most anticipated events in all of New York City
Instead, the days on which it is the sunrise that aligns in this east-west direction can be traced back to around the winter solstice, i.e. around 21 December.
What is Manhattanhenge: one of the most anticipated events in all of New York City
Seen from the river, the images of New York City at this very moment are truly incredible. Breathtaking.
What is Manhattanhenge: one of the most anticipated events in all of New York City
Seen from the river, the images of New York City at this very moment are truly incredible. Breathtaking.
What is Manhattanhenge: one of the most anticipated events in all of New York City
Seen from the river, the images of New York City at this very moment are truly incredible. Breathtaking.
Travel without booking
30/09/2023
In the desert of Karakum, in Turkmenistan, there is a huge gaseous crater known as the Gate of Hell, which is presumed to have been burning, without ever stopping, since 1971.
The crater was formed following the collapse of a natural gas cave and the name Gate of Hell was given to it by the local population, who live in the nearby village of Derweze. The name is associated with the fact that inside the crater, with a diameter of about 70 meters and a depth of 20, there is constantly fire, flames and boiling mud. At night, flames are visible even several kilometers away.
According to the local population, the Gate of Hell is a supernatural phenomenon. The explorer George Kourounis managed to take some soil samples inside the crater and from the analysis would have discovered the presence of bacteria that survived despite the high temperatures and present are inside the crater and not in the surrounding terrain.
Villages
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Barcelona is a kaleidoscope of art, culture and natural beauty. Start with the Sagrada Familia, Gaudí's masterpiece, still under construction, and the Parc Güell, with its colourful and imaginative sculptures.
The Barri Gòtic, the historical heart of the city, fascinates with its alleys and squares.
Don't miss La Boqueria market, a gourmet's paradise, and Casa Batlló, another Gaudí jewel. Montjuïc offers breathtaking views and the Parc de la Ciutadella is perfect for a relaxing break.
Luxury shopping and modernist architecture await you at Passeig de Gràcia.
Enjoy the beach at Barceloneta and admire Picasso's art at the museum dedicated to the famous painter.