Manhattanhenge: A "magic" sunset in New York

"Manhattanhenge," Wednesday, May 29, 2013 in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Friday, July 12, 2013, 2:33 PM -

Manhattanhenge, sometimes referred to as the Manhattan Solstice, occurs twice a year as the the sun aligns perfectly with the east-to-west street grid of Manhattan.

The first occurrence this year was on May 29 as the sun set along 42nd Street in Manhattan.

THIS is #manhattanhenge. Happens 2x a year where the sun sets DIRECTLY between the west-east streets in Manhattan. pic.twitter.com/xrbjt1LWzJ

— Kevin Clamato (@KevinClamato) May 29, 2013

Barring forecasted rain and thunderstorms, Friday, July 12 will be the second appearance this summer.

At around 8:23 EDT, New Yorkers should be able to look off to the west, through 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 57th, and several streets adjacent to them, and see the sun set through the city's iconic buildings.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at New York's American Museum of Natural History, coined the name Manhattanhenge as a play on Stonehenge, an ancient rock-slab structure in England, which displays a similar happening once a year.

A CANADIAN CONNECTION

Canadian residents are no stranger to this phenomenon. in Montreal, it can typically be observed on June 12.

Torontohenge occurs on October 25 and February 16 of each year.