Stunning ‘Chicagohenge’ photos captured this week

Images captured by Chicagoans show the sun shining directly through the Loop’s grid.

SHARE Stunning ‘Chicagohenge’ photos captured this week
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The phenomenon is known as “Chicagohenge,” and it refers to time around the equinox when the sun lines up exactly with Chicago’s east-west streets.

Barry Butler Photography

Professional and amateur photographers have been snapping shots of “Chicagohenge” all week, and the images — which show the sun shining directly through the Loop’s grid — are striking.

The “Chicagohenge” phenomenon occurs during the week leading up to the fall equinox, (or the week following the spring equinox), when the sun lines up exactly with Chicago’s east-west streets during sunrise and sunset.

This unique event occurs because during the equinoxes, the Earth is not tilted toward or away from the sun; the sun follows a path across the celestial equator.

And it makes for a spectacular photo op. Here are some snapshots shared by Sun-Times readers that were taken in the past week:

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