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A Perfectly Aligned Sunset Dubbed 'Melbhenge' Has Lit Up Melbourne's CBD

New York City has their own 'Manhattanhenge'.

The city of Melbourne was treated to an extraordinary sight on Tuesday evening, when the setting sun exactly aligned with Melbourne's CBD grid creating a visual spectacular.

It's a phenomenon that sees the sunset align directly with Melbourne's Hoddle Grid, beaming through the skyscrapers and creating what people have dubbed 'Melbhenge'.

"Once a year in #Melbourne, sunset aligns exactly with the grid of the CBD laid down by Robert #Hoddle in #1837. Some call it #Melbhenge but there is no excuse for a word as ugly as that," one Instagram user wrote when they captured it last year.

The name stems from Stonehenge where on certain dates of the year the setting sun appears to directly aligns between the monoliths, The Age Reports.

Astrophysicist Dr Alan Duffy told The Age they don't know why the ancient druids of Britain created Stonehenge where sunlight streams between the gaps at certain times of year, but they do know a bit more about why 'Melbhenge' exists.

"We don't know why the ancient druids of Britain created Stonehenge where sunlight streamed between gaps in thousands of tons of rock at key times of the year," Duffy said.

"Melbhenge occurs at sunset a couple of times a year when the sun sets directly between the skyscrapers going along the Hoddle grid; that is Collins, Bourke, Lonsdale streets."

People have captured amazing images of the event and posted them to social media, documenting this rare occasion that's not expected to occur again until November 3rd.

Sunset aligns with Hoddle city grid#melbhenge #heraldsun

A photo posted by Rob Leeson (@robleeson) on

#melbhenge

A photo posted by bencl1990 (@bencl1990) on

#melbournesunset

A photo posted by Chloe πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ί (@chloe7xuxu) on

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