'Manhattanhenge’ returning to Big Apple

A setting sun dipping below New York's plethora of buildings will return this weekend, creating a unique and unusual experience that only comes twice a year.

"Manhattanhenge" – an event that has been labelled "a rare and beautiful sight" by the American Museum of Natural History will descend on the city on Friday and Saturday (local time).

The phenomenon – sometimes referred to as 'Manhattan Solstice' sees the setting sun align precisely with the Big Apple's east-west street grid, creating a spectacular deep red glow through the city's towering skyscrapers.

The light display is similar to what can be experienced at Stonehenge, hence the name.

The occasion is a big deal on Instagram, so New Yorkers are expected to go crazy in Manhattan trying to capture that perfect pic.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson, director at the Hayden Planetarium at the ANMH, said that you need perfectly straight streets to see the phenomenon in New York.

"True, some municipalities have streets named for the sun, like Sunrise Highway on Long Island and the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. But these roads are not perfectly straight.

"And the few times a year when the sun aligns with one of their stretches of road, all you get is stalled traffic solar glare that temporarily blinds drivers."

On a clear day, Tyson said the typical effect of Manhattanhenge is a "radiant glow of light" across the skyscrapers and buildings, "simultaneously illuminating both the north and south sides of every cross-street of the borough's grid."

Two more unique sunsets will occur on July 12 and 13.