Tonight's the night to see the first Torontohenge sunset of 2018. Will the weather cooperate?

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Torontohenge promises spectacular sunsets for the GTA

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Scott Sutherland

Meteorologist/Science Writer

Thursday, February 16, 2017, 10:48 AM - Are you ready for Torontohenge? Glance down any of the GTA's east-west aligned streets at late in the afternoon on Wednesday and Thursday, and have your camera ready because we may be in store for a couple of spectacular sunsets.

Years ago, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term "Manhattanhenge" to note certain days of the year when the setting Sun would line up perfectly along the streets of Manhattan.

Framed by the tall skyscrapers of the New York City borough, this produced a effect similar to what the ancient druids produced when they erected Stonehenge, in what is now Wiltshire, England.



Manhattanhenge, June 3, 2008. Credit: Sevtibidou/Wikimedia Commons

Manhattan isn't the only city that sees this phenomenon, though.

Toronto experiences this as well, and - appropriately enough - this has come to be known as Torontohenge.

On Wednesday, February 15 and Thursday, February 16, we have the first sunset Torontohenges for 2017, when the setting Sun lines up with the GTA's east-west aligned streets.



The orientation of the Sun at sunrise, local noon and sunset, for Toronto, on February 15, 2017. Credit: Vladimir Agafonkin/SunCalc.net

Sunset occurs at 5:48 p.m. EST on Wednesday, and 5:50 p.m. EST on Thursday, so if you are in downtown Toronto, and you can safely take a moment around that time for a short pause in your day, stop and look to the west.

Although Wednesday's event was clouded out, on Thursday, we can still see this effect, and it is expected to be clear all day long:

Also a call for caution: If it does remain clear, with the setting sun shining straight down the streets of Toronto, the glare will undoubtedly make things difficult for those who are behind the wheel. Whether the Sun is directly in your eyes as you drive west, or in your rear-view mirror as you drive east, extra care should be taken during the commute this afternoon, so that we can all arrive at our destinations, safe and sound.

Share the event!

If you do manage to catch this event, and you have a camera handy, send us your pictures at @weathernetwork on Twitter, or upload your picture to our UGC gallery!

If you happen to miss this Torontohenge, there are actually three more in 2017, at sunrise around April 19 and August 23 (although these don't tend to be as nice), and another sunset one around October 26.

Sources: Hayden Planetarium | SunCalc.net | TimeandDate.com | Ralph Bouwmeester