The spectacular bi-annual phenomenon known as "Chicagohenge" will be at its most visible Monday as the spring season officially kicks off.
You may have heard of Chicagohenge, but what exactly is it?
The name is inspired by similar events in other cities where sunrises and sunsets near the autumnal and vernal equinoxes align with a city's street grid, allowing unobstructed views of the sun between the city's buildings.
New York City, Toronto and Montreal all experience similar events, locally known as "Manhattanhenge", "Torontohenge" and "Montrealhenge" respectively.
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As it is described by Adler Planetarium experts, Chicagohenge marks the point when the sunrise or sunset happens almost precisely between buildings on Chicago's east- and west-facing streets.
The gorgeous views will be best visible along the street grid just after sunrise and just before sunset, with the sun most closely aligning with the city's grid between March 20 and March 23.
The vernal equinox will occur at 4:24 p.m. CDT on Monday.
Local
Some popular downtown spots for the phenomenon include intersections between Kinzie Street and Madison Street, though looking down any straight east-to-west street should give a good view of the phenomenon.
"Finding a place to spot Chicagohenge is a no-brainer! Simply find one of Chicago’s east-west facing streets, plop a seat, and enjoy the view," the Adler Planetarium stated.
