Why is Neil deGrasse Tyson taking pictures of new york, and not doing, you know... physics.

It's not just Manhattan ... many cities around the world have their major streets and avenues lined up directly east-west and north-south

Steven: But in other cities around the world, if the sun doesn't line up with the grid, you can still see it.

This must be why the iPhone was launched July 11th.

Cool skyline. NEver been to NY.
www.FireMe.To/udi

The sun "lines up" with the grid everyday, just at varying angles to the horizon. Are these the days the sun sets lined up to the grid?

Also, Manhattan is not lined up directly NS-EW as someone noted. "north" is actually almost northeast, which would be as far off as you could get from a NS-EW grid system.

Sam, thanks for both of those.
That crooked grid set up is the reason New York is great. It's the way the sun courses across a rectangular building on such a grid. Perfect exposure to all sides.

Too bad they weren't smart enough to make those two days fall on the solar equinox...you know, like the thousands of civilizations that came before us that could accurately calculate it. Probably union builders.

Yeah, NY city is pretty from a distance...and at night, when you can't see all the trash.

It is physics...astronomy too. It's NEWYORKHENGE. Oh, and for christ's sake, quit bitchin' about "pretty from a distance" & trash...yer the one that moved to the big goddam city...go home to Galesburg if you can't take it, Gertrude.

new york is a big garbage pile where else is the fact that people live like cockroaches cause for celebration? culturecide

Im already in Galesburg. Trudy is that you?

Grid shmid, it looks like the over, and under exposed crap i take when i'm on vacation.

Don't you guys get it? The staff with the crystal center on top, in it's place, on 5th Ave, reveals the location of the Jimmy Hoffa's tomb, in Central Park!

Beautiful photo. As the photographer well knows, Manhattan's street grid is not aligned exactly with East and West.