Melbhenge sunset spectacle offers rare photo opportunity

Photo credit @davidbrewster via Twitter, Feb 2016
In summary
- Melbhenge offers a rare photographic opportunity to capture the setting sun in Melbourne’s CBD on Sunday 7 February
- It takes place along the Hoddle Grid from 8.30pm
Although the sun rises and sets every day, there are two occasions each year when it sets perfectly between the streets of Melbourne’s iconic Hoddle grid.
So get your cameras ready, because #Melbhenge is an event your Instagram will love you for.
The event is inspired by Manhattanhenge, during which the setting sun is aligned with the east–west streets of the main street grid of Manhattan in New York City.
It is also reminiscent of astronomical alignments visible at the UK’s famous Stonehenge.
“Melbhenge is a great time to explore how our modern landscape reflects the efforts our ancestors made to track the motions of the heavens,” says astrophysicist, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Dr Rebecca Allen.
The time to take and share photos of the sunset on Sunday 7 February, as the sun aligns with Melbourne’s Hoddle grid and tag #Melbhenge and your location on Instagram and Twitter.
Best spots to view Melbhenge
Although astronomical predictions can tell us when the Sun will set, it can’t tell us which of Melbourne’s streets will offer the best view.
In years past the steps at Parliament House on Spring Street have provided a good vantage point looking west along Bourke Street towards the CBD.

Of course, there may be other places across Melbourne’s gridded streets that are suitable. Check your neighbourhood on Google Maps and look for streets that extend along the East-West direction. The sun will set just south of west so the best views will be down streets with a long clear line of sight in that direction. You can also give it a try the day before and after depending on the weather.
Don’t forget to spread out across the city to ensure you are physically distanced from other #Melbhenge hunters.
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