A quarterly phenomenon is on the horizon with the sun scheduled to set in perfect alignment with downtown Toronto streets next week.
The sun will beam through buildings on east-west streets in the city as it descends on Wednesday, a bookmarked date when the sunset aligns with the city’s grid.
Photographers call it: “Torontohenge.”
The local term is an adaptation of astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Manhattanhenge” as a nod to Stonehenge, where summer solstice aligns with the ancient heritage site in England.
In Toronto, the phenomenon takes place four times a year during two sunrises – in April and August – and two sunsets – in February and October.
The next celestial alignment in Toronto is on Wednesday at 6:19 p.m. At that time, the sun will sit on the horizon wedged by buildings on either side.
The best vantage points will be on east-west streets, including Wellington, King, Adelaide and Richmond streets, according to the Weather Network. The weather agency points out two special spots – on King Street outside of Roy Thomson Hall and on Bloor Street near Yonge Street.
However, Toronto photographer Raymond Hui said it’s not just a one-day event because the alignment doesn’t have to be perfect to capture spectacular results.
“For example, with the upcoming sunset Henge, we may already see an orange flow coming down Queen E or St Clair W tonight if not for cloudy skies, either bouncing off buildings or streaking along the road,” Hui said.
Hui, who follows the sun and moon around the city with his camera, plans on starting his hunt for the Henge on Sunday.
