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California Henge: How to catch the rare celestial phenomenon

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California Henge: How to catch the rare celestial phenomenon


“California Henge” captured the alignment of the sun over the Bay Bridge on Monday, Sept. 2. 2024. (Rick Baldridge)

A stunning glow-up of the San Francisco skyline and Bay Bridge drew photographers of all skill levels and those looking to snap a social media moment to gather along California Street at sunrise on Monday.  

The biennial phenomenon known as the “California Henge,” offered a view of the sun over the bridge as it perfectly aligned with San Francisco’s California Street cityscape. The event happens only twice a year. The last time the “California Henge” occurred was in April, around the total solar eclipse, as reported by the San Francisco Bay Times and photographer Stu Berman.

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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, astronomers say these “henge” events are created by the sun’s path aligning with city streets. They typically take place at sunrise or sunset. Similar occurrences happen in Manhattan and Boston.

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In San Francisco, large groups of photographers were seen set up along California and Gough streets to catch a glimpse of the rare event at sunrise on Monday.

“This phenomenon is HIGHLY location specific of California Street,” explained Rick Baldridge a local amateur astronomer who also works as a telescope operator at UC’s Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton in the South Bay.

Baldridge was among the photographers who gathered to catch the henge. He said more than 20 photographers set up their equipment along California to capture the solar event.    

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Photographers gathered along California Street in San Francisco on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024 for the biannual phenomenon known as “California Henge.”  (Rick Baldridge)

How to best capture the California Henge

Bay Area photographer Pankaj Bhargava, who has documented previous celestial events of this kind, including last April’s henge, also advised that spectators can get the best and clearest view by gathering around California Street. 

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He suggested photographers shoot from various intersections along California Street, keeping in mind how prominent they want the sun to appear in relation to the Bay Bridge. Experienced photographers understand the challenge of capturing the sun, and Bhargava recommended using a neutral density filter or another technique to reduce the sun’s brightness.

Photographer Pankaj Bhargava captured images from a previous “California Henge” occurrence in San Francisco.  (Credit: Pankaj Bhargava)

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Monday’s henge resulted in awe-inspiring images, but if you missed it, you may get a chance to catch the rare phenomenon again on Tuesday.  

“I suspect tomorrow will be a bit of a zoo out there,” Baldridge said. “As expected, the sun was a bit higher today over the Bridge column than it will be tomorrow… Alignment should be very good tomorrow morning.”

On Tuesday, sunrise in San Francisco is set for 6:42 a.m. 

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“California Henge” captured the alignment of the sun over the Bay Bridge on Monday, Sept. 2. 2024. (Rick Baldridge)

Photographers gathered on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024 in San Francisco for the biannual phenomenon known as “California Henge.”  (Rick Baldridge)

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San Francisco, CA

Morning Report: McKivitz Highlights Special Connection to SF 🗞️

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Morning Report: McKivitz Highlights Special Connection to SF 🗞️


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Artwork quilt unveiled at San Francisco dirt alley that was mistakenly bought at auction

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Artwork quilt unveiled at San Francisco dirt alley that was mistakenly bought at auction


In the fall of 2025, CBS News Bay Area first brought you the story of a Sunset couple that had the winning bid for a piece of property next to their home. They thought they were getting the duplex next door. Instead, they got a small patch of land known as Dirt Alley.

This story has many chapters, but it ended with a community celebration.

The final chapter in the story of Dirt Alley was written Wednesday night as they unveiled the tiles of artwork on the pavement.

“I’m very happy today,” JJ Hollingsworth said. “It’s just amazing that these artists that I’ve been working with and sold the alley to have come through with this incredible art.”

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JJ Hollingsworth was the original property owner. She took out $25,000 from her retirement to pay for this parcel in a city auction. She thought she got a bargain for the duplex next door. When she found out it was actually the alley, the stress led to health problems and a lot of anxiety.

“I’m trying to forget, but I caused all this,” she said. “That’s what happened. I caused all this.”

Then came an email that would help her get out of the Dirt Alley nightmare. A group of friends from San Francisco was interested in buying this 82-foot-long alley.

“I know she was really stressed out when she first bought this and kind of didn’t know what she was going to do with it,” Theo Bleier said. “It’s really lucky. We were going to buy a different parcel, and we lost the auction. It was more than we wanted to spend. We felt really lucky the coincidence worked out, and we were able to help out JJ.”

The new owners then had the idea of laying an artwork quilt on the pavement and took submissions online.

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“I think we had about one million people visit the website at least,” owner Patrick Hultquist said. “1.2 million, I think is the number of people that visited the website.”

The tiles with the most votes made it onto what is now called Notion way.

“Now, it’s not an official name of the street. It’s an unofficial name, but we did get an official-looking sign,” he said.

JJ Hollingsworth, who is a music composer, wrote a ballad called Notion Way for the special occasion. What started as a horrible mistake ended up bringing the community together.

“It’s really beautiful,” neighbors Tom Goslinga & Nesha Niezrecki said. “It’s how culture gets created in a lot of ways. People kind of being creative with an interesting situation. It’s really cool.”

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While Hollingsworth is grateful for how this story ended, she says she learned a valuable lesson from this whole experience.

“Read the fine print and ask a lot of questions,” she said. 

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Driver of bullet-riddled car flees North Bay deputies over Golden Gate Bridge

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Driver of bullet-riddled car flees North Bay deputies over Golden Gate Bridge


SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A driver in a car riddled with bullets fled a Marin County Sheriff’s Office deputy at high speeds over the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco early Tuesday morning, according to authorities. The suspect, identified as Martin Zuniga Jr., 26, was later located in Novato and arrested.

The deputy first observed the suspect driving at approximately 100 mph on Highway 101 near the Richardson Bay Bridge. After pulling over the car, the deputy “noticed approximately 14 fresh bullet holes in the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office wrote. Zuniga allegedly told the deputy that he had just been involved in a road rage incident near Novato, but he refused to get out of the car and give a statement.

(Photo: Marin County Sheriff’s Office)

Zuniga “abruptly put the car into drive and fled the scene,” the sheriff’s office wrote.

The pursuit led to the Golden Gate Bridge, where the deputy disengaged due to unsafe speeds across the span, according to authorities. The car was later found abandoned on the streets of San Francisco.

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At approximately 6 p.m., detectives located Zuniga in downtown Novato and placed him into custody. The sheriff’s office said at the time of the arrest that he was in possession of a loaded .40-caliber pistol with a high-capacity magazine and suspected cocaine.

Zuniga was booked into the Marin County Jail for:

  • Reckless evading
  • Violently resisting law enforcement
  • Felon in possession of a firearm
  • Felon in possession of ammunition
  • Addict in possession of a firearm

Anyone with information regarding a shooting or road rage incident in the evening or early morning hours of June 15 and June 16 is asked to contact the Marin County Sheriff’s Office at 415-479-2311.



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