Are you familiar with Stonehenge? It’s one of the world’s greatest mysteries. Nobody knows the purpose of the prehistoric, circular monument of monolithic stone slabs or how it was created. But scientists and historians came to notice that on the summer and winter solstices, the sunrise and sunset align perfectly and peculiarly with some of the gaps in the slabs.  Interestingly, the same holds true for cities.

What’s come to be known as Bostonhenge, the sun will rise and set in alignment with some of Boston’s streets on December 21. This phenomenon happens jus twice per year and some digital cartographers put together a map so that you don’t miss out on the natural beauty.

The map, available here, displays the best streets to enjoy Bostonhenge, during both solstices.

It appears that in Boston, the best time to check out Bostonhenge is during the sunrise and not in Boston proper. The East Boston waterfront and the Fort Point neighborhood appear to have the best roadway vantage points for checking out the sunrise.

Only a couple of streets downtown – Atlantic Ave. and Sudbury St. – and a few in Southie, Dorchester, Roxbury and Allston appear to be able to accommodate sunset views.

Vassar Street in Cambridge looks to be the longest throughway in Greater Boston with a view of the sunset.

As is the case with the actual Stonehenge, it’s unclear if streets in Boston or in any other community in the entire world was built specifically for the purpose of aligning with the sun. In fact, we’ll probably never know.

But any chance to get outside away from TV, computers and mobile devices, and enjoy a beautifully lit sky and streetscape, is a win for cities and their residents.

Image via Creative Commons/ slgckgc (CC BY 2.0)
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