Photo via Scott Heaney on Shutterstock
Tired of the doom and gloom in Toronto lately? Well, here’s something to look forward to! The most spectacular golden hour of the year is about to happen in Toronto next month – “Torontohenge”. This rare phenomenon happens when the sunset aligns with the city’s east and west streets. And you’ll get to see it four times this year. Here’s what to know.
The jaw-dropping display, “Torontohenge,” was named after the same phenomenon in Manhattan called “Manhattanhenge,” coined by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, according to The Weather Network.
The sun’s rays between the skyscrapers create an effect similar to Stonehenge, a prehistoric sundial-shaped monument in England, hence the word “henge” in its name.
In an email to Curiocity, Civil engineer Ralph Bouwmeester, who specializes in tracking the sun and shadows, filled us in on this year’s predictions.
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It is predicted that Torontohenge will happen on February 15th at precisely 5:47 PM EDT, marking the first Torontohenge sunset of 2024.
As for the rest of the year, Bouwmeester shares that we will see this event on April 19th at 6:27 AM EDT, August 23rd at 6:32 AM EDT, and October 25th at 6:17 PM EDT.
According to The Weather Network, the best places to catch the sunset are along skyscraper-lined roads in the city’s downtown core with unobstructed views of the western horizon.
Areas include:
“On King Street W, outside of Roy Thomson Hall, is especially good. Farther north, Bloor Street W near the intersection with Yonge Street is also a great spot,” shared TWN back in 2022.
Since the winter weather is very unpredictable, we’ll keep you updated on conditions closer to.
But we’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope to see the stunning spectacle clear as day, this February.
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