Chicagohenge Dazzles Photographers, Onlookers As It Sends Stunning Light Through City’s Streets

PHOTOS: This spectacle can be seen a few days before and after the equinox, so there's still time to catch a glimpse.

9:50 AM CDT on Sep 23, 2022

The Chicagohenge phenomenon is observed on Randolph Street at sunset on Sept. 22, 2022.

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THE LOOP — Hundreds of photographers and enthusiasts flocked Downtown to catch a glimpse of Chicagohenge as the sun set Thursday.

The phenomenon occurs on the spring and fall equinoxes, when the sun is in just the right position to rise and set between buildings on east-west streets.

As the sunset began to sneak out behind the skyscrapers along Randolph Street, an excited onlooker said, “It’s happening!”

The surrounding photographers snapped their cameras, shuffled and cheered as the light streaked down Chicago’s famed grid.

This spectacle can be seen a few days before and after the equinox, so there’s still time to catch a glimpse.

Check out photos from this week:

A runner crosses Lawrence Avenue in Mayfair as the Chicagohenge phenomenon is seen above at sunrise on Sept. 20, 2022.

The Chicagohenge phenomenon is observed above Randolph Street in the Loop at sunset on Sept. 22, 2022.

The Chicagohenge phenomenon is observed through a steeple of Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church in West Town at sunrise on Sept. 21, 2022.

The Chicagohenge phenomenon is seen above the intersection of Damen, North and Milwaukee avenues in Wicker Park on Sept. 19, 2022.

The Chicagohenge phenomenon is observed above Holy Trinity Polish Catholic Church in West Town at sunrise on Sept. 21, 2022.

Photographers gather to document the Chicagohenge phenomenon on Randolph Street at sunset on Sept. 22, 2022.

The Chicagohenge phenomenon is seen above Lawrence Avenue in Mayfair at sunrise on Sept. 20, 2022.

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