Washington, D.C. – Urban planners and astronomers are turning their attention to a newly coined phenomenon called the “equinox henge” effect, which describes how the sunrise and sunset align with city grids during the spring and autumn equinoxes. By mapping the angles of sunlight against street orientations in over 30 major U.S. cities, researchers discovered that certain neighborhoods receive significantly longer periods of direct morning light, influencing everything from energy consumption to mental health outcomes. The study, published in the Journal of Urban Ecology, suggests that city designers could leverage these natural light corridors to improve daylight exposure in high‑density districts.
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