Manhattanhenge: New York’s ‘magical’ astronomical alignments
Here’s a short article about a phenomenon that demonstrates astronomical alignment of buildings even in a modern city. Popular astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is quoted here about “Manhattanhenge,” a term he coined almost a decade ago. However, I would be very surprised if Manhattan is the only city in the world with astronomical alignments. Certainly, many of the world’s older cities possessed various such alignments, frequently in conjunction with religious structures.This latter development can be described as “astrotheological.” It’s great to see mainstream (and atheistic) scientists like Dr. Tyson discussing this fascinating subject, although it’s too bad many others haven’t followed suit.
The original article is in French, so I have provided a translation.
New York: ‘Magical’ alignment of the sun with the streets of Manhattan
The Big Apple will be illuminated Wednesday by a particular sunset in which the sun’s rays perfectly aligned with the street layout will engulf the facades of skyscrapers in New York. This phenomenon, which began Tuesday, occurs four times a year in Manhattan.
It has been nicknamed “Manhattanhenge,” a reference to the Stonehenge megalithic site located in the south of England. During the summer and winter solstices, the sun passes along a central axis through this site of stone circles, with historians thinking that the place was used as a solar calendar or for pagan cults.
In Manhattan, the phenomenon takes place before and after the solstices, when the sun sets ablaze all available perspectives at the end of the streets built from East to West.
“Manhattanhenge may be a phenomenon that occurs only in one city in the world,” said astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, of the American Museum of Natural History, who claims the label of this phenomenon.
The man looked at the issue in 1996. It wasn’t until five years later, in July 2001, that he photographed the alignment of the sun with the streets. In 2002, he published new pictures in a special edition of the magazine Natural History. Thus the phenomenon became known.
This year, the first appearance of “Manhattanhenge” occurred on May 30, just before the solstice of June 21. It happens again Wednesday, July 13, with a partial appearance on Tuesday.
The best place to enjoy [this phenomenon] is to be as far east as possible in Manhattan, advises DeGrasse Tyson. 14th, 23rd, 34th and 42nd streets offer incredible perspectives of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler tower.
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12 thoughts on “Manhattanhenge: New York’s ‘magical’ astronomical alignments”
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“…many of the world’s older cities possessed various such alignments, frequently in conjunction with religious structures.This latter development can be described as “astrotheological.””
Very interesting.
“It’s great to see mainstream (and atheistic) scientists like Dr. Tyson discussing this fascinating subject, although it’s too bad many others haven’t followed suit.”
Yes indeed, over the years I’ve witnessed many militant atheists attack you, Acharya S, over these astrotheological issues. The worlds most famous atheists know nothing about it. It’s unfortunate because they stand to learn so much from your work.
Richard Dawkins on ZEITGEIST, Part 1
Richard Carrier on Zeitgeist part 1
American Atheist Plagiarizes Acharya’s Work?
Another Nasty “Atheist Experience”
Acharya’s Work Complements Sam Harris’s Philosophy
It’s refreshing to see a scientist like Dr. Tyson take a look and coin the word “Manhattanhenge.”
I’d love to see academia add a new Department of Astrotheological Studies across top universities. Archaeoastronomy was only recently added as a new department in the mid 90’s. People don’t realize that nobody in academia is really looking into these astrotheological origins of religious concepts. Which is a monumental disservice because it offers an Occam’s razor explanation.
Manhattahenge
:whistle: I worked for 4 years in the lower right building on 42nd st.
Is that so?
Slow off the mark eh?
View Washington,Paris,London, Melbourne or even the giant sundial
called St Peters Square in Rome. It’s all Sun-Worship.
The reason there are so many astrological alignments is because humanity has been hijacked by luciferians, under the guise of freemasonry.
Illuminated?
Do the research.
People who make claims such as: “humanity has been hijacked by luciferians” need some serious therapy for their insanity. Just try to back up your claims and watch them fall apart.
Watch this video from the History Channel ([url]http://freethoughtnation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=22856#p22856[/url]) debunking the notion that the Statue of Liberty was created by the Lucifer worshipping Illuminati.
You are correct about Washington, Paris, London, Melbourne and St Peters Square however, your understanding of it obviously comes from your human and nature hating [b]CULT[/b] called Christianity, which is also based on that same sun worship. There are many books you can read to learn all about it. Catch up to the rest of the world.
The Origins of Christianity ([url]http://www.stellarhousepublishing.com/originsofchristianity.pdf[/url])
Jesus as the Sun throughout History ([url]http://stellarhousepublishing.com/jesussunexcerpt.html[/url])
Astrotheology of the Ancients ([url]http://stellarhousepublishing.com/astrotheology.html[/url])
The New Zeitgeist Part 1 Sourcebook (August 2010) ([url]http://www.stellarhousepublishing.com/zeitgeistsourcebook.pdf[/url])
Zeitgeist Part 1 & the Supportive Evidence ([url]http://freethoughtnation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=2997[/url])
The Mythicist Position – video ([url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKW9sbJ3v2w[/url])
What is a Mythicist? ([url]http://www.stellarhousepublishing.com/mythicist.html[/url])
Evemerist vs. Mythicist Position ([url]http://freethoughtnation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2160[/url])
…
I’m so glad I don’t have to worry about this happening where I live.
Illuminated indeed. 👿
Penny: you have a LOT more research to do. Especially when it comes to the impact of shapes (and subliminals) on the human mind, that idiot box emitting alpha waves into you called a ‘TV’ (Look at the Patents Office website for ‘mind control devices in TVs-Laugh now-cry later), and occultism-and how most of our ‘leaders’ worldwide are part of some secretive fraternity (Bush/Kerry=Skull and Bones, Hitler=Thule, Stalin).
You could even….do your own research on the Bohemian Grove-Who reported by San Francisco newspapers online RIGHT NOW talking about the protestors gathering there-and how most politicians DONT DENY participation in these exclusive all-male ‘festivities’ in private inside. David Gergen told the NY Times and I quote “I don’t run around naked like they do.” when asked about the grove.
Don’t trust any of them. They damn sure don’t trust you-look at how many rights they have taken over what the terrorist directly from you since 2001.
STAGGERING.
Welcome to a brave new world young one.
Despite your assumptions that I’m young and can’t possibly know anything; I’m fully aware of the Bohemian Grove issue as well as the Skull & Bones secret society. We can agree that those are weird and I’d like to see more transparency. However, lets not just gloss over the fact that Alex Jones first filmed that. He himself a Christian who loves conspiracies and claims to debunk this or that about government and religion. Meanwhile, he rigidly adheres to Christianity as a devotee. So, he fails to objectively examine one of the biggest scams of our day, Christianity. His credibility on these issues was ruined long ago.
The problem is that people take that info and make giant leaps of faith with it quite selectively in order to serve their own extremely biased agenda. You, and others like the comment above, merely insist on the fallacy known as poisoning the well ([url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_the_well[/url]) by making broad stroke generalizations in attempts to paint all sun worship, nature worship, solar mythology, archaeoastronomy and astrotheology as some big bad evil Satanic/Luciferian monster, and it’s patently false. It’s a blatant display of a severe lack of knowledge (ignorance) on the subject mixed in with superstition and paranoia on steroids.
The fact is that we live on this planet, and for thousands of years people all over the world have observed their natural surroundings, revering the sun, for example, for bringing light, warmth and life to our earth. The ancients also venerated the moon, planets, stars, constellations and milky-way too. Associating all this other junk with natural observations is an error, plain and simple.
The fact remains that the ancients were able to be successful in agriculture when they figured out the cycles of the sun and seasons. It helped them figure out the best times for planting, harvesting as well as celebrations such as the winter and summer solstices and the equinoxes. Hence, Christmas and Easter. I don’t hear very many Christians complaining about Christmas and Easter even though they originated with Pagan religion thousands of years before Christianity was ever created.
So, this ancient knowledge is a vital part of human history and ancestry. To treat it like you hate it or like it’s purely malevolent is merely self-hatred and hatred of your very own human past. Were it not for this knowledge humans would still be hunter/gatherers. Is that what you’d prefer?
So yes, it most certainly appears that it is [b]*YOU*[/b] who have a mountain of studying to do.
Awesome pictures
Manhattanhenge ([url]http://www.whatisall.com/miscellaneous/what-is-manhattanhenge.html[/url]) may just be a unique urban phenomenon in the world, if not the universe. To get the best view of the rare and beautiful sight, you need to be as far east in Manhattan as possible and look west across the avenues.
“The Zeitgeist is a false deception to merely keep you out of the Bible.”
More lies from the human hating, nature hating CULT of Christianity. It’s an embarrassment to humanity to watch people go around making these types of claims. The makers of Zeitgeist welcome people to read the bible. Must of the evidence for Zeitgeist is IN THE BIBLE.
“The Bible makes this clear in Acts 2:30 & Romans 1:3 which both say Christ was made from “the SEED” of David. That word “seed” in the Greek translates to “Sperma” or what we know today as Sperm.”
Actually, neither mention “seed” except in the inaccurate KJV of Romans. But, who cares? What does that have to do with this blog? Actually, I don’t care and I’m not interested in your opinion on this here. My point being, stop trying to hi-jack this blog to proselytize.
“don’t try to use these falsified theories of men (who worship Satan) to discredit the Bible because usually those that do this have never read the Bible for themselves & only go on what they have been told. If you have read the Bible then please show me 1 contradiction you read & not something you found on Google.”
I am soooo sick of home-schooled psycho’s with a room temperature IQ trying to label anyone who criticizes the bible as “Satan worshippers.” I am a former saved, baptized Christian of many many years who worked very hard studying the bible and its original languages. I can’t count how many times I’ve ran into fundamentalist bigots like yourself always assuming the worst about people.
Here’s a list of bible contradictions from a former 20 year pastor:
Bible Contradictions
http://ffrf.org/legacy/books/lfif/?t=contra
“The Bible said the Euphrates River would begin to dry up in the last days & that is happening now…Google it…..”
As has happened before; there’s nothing biblical about it. Ever hear about “red tide” it’s old news and happens every now & again. Same with earthquakes etc.
“Your nature scientists are completely stumped as to why all the mass animal deaths by the millions all around the world but the Bible predicted it & makes perfect sense of it. “
Oh now they’re “my” scientists are they? Where does the bible say it would wipe out of all the species? In Revelation next to where it claims that eventually 2/3rds of all non-believers will be destroyed? You should be ASHAMED of yourself. You & your religion are a human hating, earth hating, reality hating CULT and it utterly disgusts me!!! I really wish Jesus would come to rapture you and the rest of the Abrahamic cults so the rest of us could actually begin to live in peace and be great stewards of planet earth.
A Brief History of the Apocalypse
http://www.abhota.info/end1.htm
uhh, I feel dirty after talking to you. I feel like I need to go take a shower.
“The sun, moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands.”
– Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life, 1923
@PENNY
Yes it is true that Christianity is pagan in origin but that doesn’t take away from the Bible because Christianity ISN’T BASED ON THE BIBLE. Constantine hijacked the true gospel of the Bible in 325 A.D under the Council of Nicea. That is when paganism was mixed into “Christian beliefs”. The Zeitgeist is a false deception to merely keep you out of the Bible. It relies on the notion of the “Virgin Birth” & tries to tie that in with that of other mother son “Virgin Birth” stories from other religions but….what they don’t tell you is the word “virgin” in the Bible doesn’t mean a person who hasn’t had sex, but instead a young woman of marriageable age. So Mary the Mother of Christ did indeed have sex with Joseph to bring forth Christ. The Bible makes this clear in Acts 2:30 & Romans 1:3 which both say Christ was made from “the SEED” of David. That word “seed” in the Greek translates to “Sperma” or what we know today as Sperm.
My point being, don’t try to use these falsified theories of men (who worship Satan) to discredit the Bible because usually those that do this have never read the Bible for themselves & only go on what they have been told. If you have read the Bible then please show me 1 contradiction you read & not something you found on Google.
The Bible said the Euphrates River would begin to dry up in the last days & that is happening now…Google it. The Bible said rivers & water would turn to blood & that is happening now…Google it. Christ said there would be earthquakes in diverse places while there is wars & rumors of wars & famines & pestilences, all going on right now. Your nature scientists are completely stumped as to why all the mass animal deaths by the millions all around the world but the Bible predicted it & makes perfect sense of it.
So when the Bible says that nature loving sun worship is pagan & is of Satan, then it is just as it says. So “Openmind” was right but I just so happen to have the educated juice to prove it. And don’t listen to the history channel because it’s more lies than truth.
Ok rant over.
Shalom
Manhattanhenge 2013! ([url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/manhattanhenge-2013-photos_n_3358386.html#slide=2511463[/url])
Your wrong. Yes your right on sperma but that proves little & actually they didn’t discover that females carry eggs until much much later. They thought women just soiled the man’s seed. They thought the man carried the full human & that’s why man’s genealogy was more important & for other reasons but just as a barren land for crops doesn’t produce anything, it’s the same with the barren wombs. Also Constantine did have very much involvement & made it a universal religion but not because it’s real. The Bible is just one way to try to get everyone to think the same way. All religions back then we’re light & darkness & which one is the path toward light became a dominant astrotheological motif that people condemned each other just like laws today. People will kill over nonsense no matter what. Of course The Bible would be against paganism because it’s trying to be better that it’s predating denominations. Christianity is basically paganism. Satan isn’t real. It’s just a default figure to use for direction. Satan isn’t some demonic being that has more power than Yahweh which Yahweh did things that a devil could do. Why would God allow the evil to be stronger? Also don’t use time because it’s an illusion here if eternity is real. What’s more evil, to allow suffering or to end it? Satan just means adversary, accuser, enemy. It evolved like anything. Lucifer was an adopted term. Yahweh was considered satan at times & Israel to Yahweh. Satan is like Krampus as the opposite of Santa. Please don’t contradict yourself with- “If you have read the Bible then please show me 1 contradiction you read & not something you found on Google.” Then say – “The Bible said the Euphrates River would begin to dry up in the last days & that is happening now…Google it”…you say don’t use Google but use it for your claims? Google is more of a God then ancient descriptions as given imperfect human characteristics. Speaking of contradictions, there’s many. Just read for yourself & ask yourself with skepticism. I’ve heard “oh well the men wrote it, so it’s different opinions but God guided them.”??? So the men can contradict each other & God allows confusion on his dire message? There’s millions of years of silence then old testament, then a pause for few hundred years then New Testament. Then a great pause again? The NT & OT are like 2 different worlds. Not just because NT was in Greek. Here’s one logical contradiction, how can evil start in Heaven if we are evil we go to hell? How come angels know more? Why only appear within ancient times. Plus Angels were commonly used as a 3rd person witness to help guide the author as if he is having a conversation with himself. The stories are protective charms not to be taken literal no more than Greek mythology but they still used the myths for a guidance like a government using law structures. Ask how did all the dinosaurs get on the boat or did they die off before? Well yup they did & the authors didn’t know. How did Moses control all those people? How did The alleged authors know where everyone was, what they did, what they said? Why is it written in 3rd person? How did anyone know what Jesus said in the Garden if they were sleeping? He said the exact Prayer 3 times? Why always numbers 7, 3, 12, 40? How did anyone know what happened with Jesus in the desert for 40 days no food or water & battled temptation with the devil yet god can’t be tempted by sin or evil? Even if he came & told people what happened then how do we know it was accurately written down since it’s not like they wrote everything as it happened? It becomes hear say. The author always knows what the characters say & do. Explain the ascension, was it in Bethany on the same day of his resurrection or was it on Mount Olivet 40 days after his resurrection? Matthew is the only one to mention magi & earthquakes that opened tombs with many raised from the dead. Matthew has Jesus riding on 2 donkeys at the same time because he read the septuagint wrong. Who found the empty tomb? One or a few women? How many angels? One, 2 or a man? Were they in the tomb or outside? Mark ends abruptly with the women saw it empty & said nothing to anyone but the other Gospels added to it & even if was real, it’s hear say from Peter supposedly telling Mark from who Peter only heard from the women who heard from an Angel. The 4 Gospels heavily contradict & only agree on the main themes but not details. The time frames are off & so on. It’s embellishments of fabrications. I could go on & on but think that’s enough to show its not infallible & it’s a mythical tale for spiritual influence to uplift people & try to reason with the world of complexities & what better way to control people rather than use scare tactics with hell & to propel the mind with emotional convictions such as hope in times of despair & the grip of death & to explain away the opposition of human behavior with good & evil based on a sin foundation that puts guilt in you & manipulate with mere beliefs reinforced by negative experiences to show what a positive could be if your on good terms with my God who is one you can’t see & is interchangeably used to pertain to circumstances.