A full moon isn’t the only celestial phenomenon Torontonians have to look forward to this year. The city’s most photogenic sun alignment takes place this Sun, Feb 15, 2026. It’s called Torontohenge: the moment when the setting sun lines up with the city’s east-west downtown street grid, sending a straight beam of light down between buildings!
The name is a nod to Manhattanhenge, a similar phenomenon popularized by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, but Toronto’s version is just as (or even more) stunning.
Although it happens four times a year (with two sunrises and two sunsets), the mid-February sunset is often the Torontohenge moment people talk about the most, perhaps because it lands right when the city starts noticing that winter’s early darkness is easing up.
According to TimeandDate, here are the key ‘Torontohenge’ dates and times to look out for in 2026:
- Feb 15, 2026 (sunset): around 5:47 pm
- Apr 19, 2026 (sunrise): around 6:28 am
- Aug 23, 2026 (sunrise): around 6:31 am
- Oct 25, 2026 (sunset): around 6:18 pm
The best part is, you don’t need a telescope to see it, and there’s no need to head to a remote part of the city. Just look for a long, straight, east-west street with tall buildings on both sides and a relatively open view toward the horizon.
Some of the best viewing spots downtown include King St W (especially near Roy Thomson Hall), Wellington St W, Adelaide St W and Richmond St W. As per the Weather Network, the perfect alignment lasts for about two to three minutes, and you’ll want to arrive at least 30 minutes before sunrise or sunset so you can watch the sun slide into place (and so you’re not sprinting to a spot while everyone else is already set up!)
If you happen to miss February’s exact peak time, the sun will be in similar, highly photogenic positions for a few days before and after the peak. So, if the sky cooperates, you can capture an Insta-ready moment right down the middle of the street grid.
