Crowds gathered in New York on Tuesday evening as onlookers tried to catch a glimpse of ‘Manhattanhenge’.
The solar event that brings New Yorkers to the streets twice a year will continue tonight before disappearing from the skies once again.
So what is ‘Manhattanhenge’?
New York City is built on a grid. It’s a practical way of city planning, but also means that in May and July some of its long, straight streets become filled with light equally on both sides.
Image: The setting sun perfectly lines up with Manhattan’s grid. Pic: Reuters
It gets its name from Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. During the summer solstice, Stonehenge comes to life as the sun aligns with its standing rocks.
In a similar way, the streets of Manhattan fill with golden light when the setting sun perfectly aligns with the city’s grid.
The phenomenon draws thousands of people out to try and catch a glimpse – and to get a good photo.
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Image: Revellers gathered at Stonehenge last year to celebrate the summer solstice. Pic: AP
Clouds thwarted them last night however, and the sun was mostly obscured.
There’ll be one more opportunity tonight, although the Met Office predicts the skies will be partially cloudy.
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‘Manhattanhenge’ will then return on 12 and 13 July.
The American Museum of Natural History recommends 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street and 57th Street as good spots to watch the sunset.
“Find a spot as far east as possible that still has views of New Jersey across the Hudson River,” it says in a blog post on the phenomenon.
Image: Onlookers try to grab a snap of ‘Manhattanhenge’ on 28 May. Pic: Reuters
Why does it happen?
The point at which the sun sets on the horizon creeps north until the summer solstice, on 20 July this year, and then moves back south. This is because the Earth tilts on its axis as it rotates around the sun.
“Manhattanhenge may be a unique urban phenomenon in the world,” according to the American Museum of Natural History because the borough has a clear view of the horizon unlike many grid cities and its roads are perfectly straight.
Last month, people across the US, Canada and Mexico were treated to a total solar eclipse. People cried and cheered as the sun became obscured by the moon.
Musk had previously said we would form and fund a new political party to unseat lawmakers who supported the bill.
From bromance to bust-up
The Tesla boss backed Trump’s election campaign with more than a quarter of a billion dollars, later rewarded with a high profile role running the newly created department of government efficiency (DOGE).
Image: Donald Trump gave Musk a warm send-off in the Oval Office in May. Pic: Reuters
In May Musk left the role, still on good terms with Trump but criticising key parts of his legislative agenda.
After that, the attacks ramped up, with Musk slamming the sweeping tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination” and Trump hitting back in a barbed tit-for-tat.
Trump earlier this week threatened to cut off the billion-dollar federal subsidies that flow to Musk’s companies, and said he would even consider deporting him.
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If you’ve got a question you’d like the Trump100 team to answer, you can email it to trump100@sky.uk.
13 people have been killed in the US state of Texas after heavy rain caused flash flooding, according to local media reports.
Officials have also said more than 20 are missing from a girls’ camp in Texas.
As much as 10 inches (25 centimetres) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County, causing flash flooding of the Guadalupe River.
Judge Rob Kelly, the chief elected official in the county, confirmed fatalities from the flooding and dozens of water rescues so far.
A flood watch issued on Thursday afternoon estimated isolated amounts up to seven inches (17 centimetres) of rising water.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.