'Chicagohenge:' What it is and how you can see it

Larry Mowry Image
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Chicagohenge timelapse video
Timelapse video of Chicagohenge shot from Millennium Park looking west down Washington.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Twice a year we are treated to a special alignment of the sun and our beautiful city buildings.

For a week or so around the Spring and Fall Equinox (around March 21 and September 21 most years), you can see the sunset looking down the east-west streets of downtown Chicago. The sunset is framed perfectly between the buildings on each side of the road. You should be able to see "Chicagohenge" for at least a few more nights this week.

Why does this happen?

Throughout the year, the sun sets at different points on the horizon. In the winter it is a little farther to the north and during summer it is a little farther to the south. But during the equinoxes, with the east-west grid layout of the city, we have the perfect opportunity to see "Chicagohenge".

A special alignment of the sun, known as Chicagohenge, occurs twice a year.