If you’re a New Yorker, then you’re likely eagerly anticipating the onset of Manhattanhenge. But if that sounds like a totally made-up nonsense word to you, then let us explain.

Manhattanhenge is a phenomenon that combines both human-made and natural elements, making it all the more magnificent. Twice each calendar year—weeks before and after the summer solstice—New Yorkers and tourists alike will have their iPhone cameras ready for Manhattan’s sunset to hit the city’s grid system at just the right angle.

According to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), it happens when the “setting sun aligns precisely with the Manhattan street grid, creating a radiant glow of light across Manhattan’s brick and steel canyons, simultaneously illuminating both the north and south sides of every cross street of the borough’s grid.”

It’s so precise, in fact, that some believe those who designed the grid system back in 1811 knew it would occur. While it took decades for actual roads to be built, Manhattanhenge would’ve still been noticeable as soon as the grid was structured.

Still, experts say that any city with a rectangular grid would allow for days when the sunset aligns with the streets. Those cities, however, just may not all allow for such ideal viewing as the landscape of Manhattan.

While nobody knows for sure just how much the sun’s glow impacted design plans, Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, who both discovered the phenomenon and coined the term, “Manhattanhenge,” believes that archaeologists are likely to assign astrological meaning to the design—similar to how England’s Stonehenge is viewed.

“These two days happen to correspond with Memorial Day and Baseball’s All-Star break,” deGrasse Tyson wrote on the American Museum of Natural History’s website. “Future anthropologists might conclude that, via the sun, the people who called themselves Americans worshipped War and Baseball.”

Tyson also noted that some of the best places to view would be along 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, and 57th streets, since those wider blocks with gorgeous buildings will make for great photo captures. “The Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building render 34th Street and 42nd Street especially striking vistas,” he said.

If you’ve never caught the stunning view before, you’re in for a real treat. And if you aren’t in NYC for the real thing, don’t worry. The timeless views will be available for all on Instagram and TikTok tomorrow.

Manhattanhenge will begin at about 8:13 p.m. on May 28, with half the sun lining up with the grid, and the first full-sun moment this year will take place on May 29. For in-person viewing, check out dates and times for Manhattanhenge Effect 2024 here (scroll down).