Manhattan at sunset © Sarah Ackerman
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What will future civilizations, or even aliens think of New York City? The clever mind inside Neil de Grasse Tyson’s cranium thinks that they might conclude that New Yorkers worshipped war and baseball.
This is all based on the phenomenon known as Manhattanhenge. Just like Stonehenge in England, and other structures with astronomical connections, there are specific days in the year when the sun aligns perfectly with the grid system of Manhattan’s streets. And just as we have made inferences about the people who built Stonehenge, someone studying New York in this way might draw conclusions about the people of New York. Manhattanhenge occurs on Memorial Day and during Major League Baseball’s All-Star Break, ergo archaeologists and aliens alike could be forgiven for thinking that we idolize warriors and ball players.
Don’t miss your chance to observe Manhattanhence on May 28th. Check out the American Museum of Natural History’s blog for details.