In a phenomenon known as"Chicagohenge," the sun sets over West Madison Street on the final day of winter, March 19, 2021, in Chicago. Twice a year, during the spring and fall equinoxes, the rising and setting sun lines up with Chicago’s east-west street grid as the sun is framed within Chicago’s skyline. The spring equinox is March 20, 2021.
The fall equinox is Thursday., according to Michelle Nichols, master educator for the Adler Planetarium. The effect is visible for about the week before and after the equinox. And if you miss it, wait another six months for the next one. The spring equinox happens Monday, March 20, 2023.Throughout the year, the spots on the horizon where the sun rises and sets change.
During the spring and fall equinoxes, the sun shines equally on both hemispheres, and rises and sets directly to the east and west. Since Chicago’s street grid corresponds almost exactly with the points of the compass, the rising and setting equinox sun aligns with the street grid, framing it between the city’s buildings.The city’s rigid east-west grid pattern means that just about any east-west street works, but a street without many obstructions would be best.
The alignment is named after Stonehenge, a formation of massive stones erected more than 4,000 years ago, according to Shane Larson, an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium and a professor at Northwestern University. During certain dates the rising and setting sun lines up with the stones, leading some scientists to suggest that Stonehenge could have been an observatory or an astronomical calendar.
Equinox devotees will gather every year for the Vernal Equinox. A place of sun worship still, Stonehenge is a mysterious destination that holds deep spiritual value for many travelers. Some researchers suggest the formation was erected as early as 2200 BC, while others argue it was even earlier, in 3000 BC. No matter the date of creation, Stonehenge is a powerful landmark, and well worth the visit for a beautiful — and perhaps magical — sunrise.
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