Golden Hour Calculator
This golden hour calculator gives you the times of sunrise, sunset, golden hour, blue hour and twilight for any place and date, in that location's own time zone — with the Sun's compass bearing and a chart of how high it climbs through the day.
Find the best light for any place and date. Times are shown in the location's own time zone.
How to Use the Golden Hour Calculator
- Set the place: Pick a city, use your device's location, or type coordinates (from any map app)
- Check the time zone is the one at that place — times are shown in it, wherever you are
- Choose the date, and optionally a table for the days after it
- Read the results: Sunrise and sunset with their compass bearings, golden and blue hours, twilight, and a chart of the Sun's height
Share the results link to send a location and date to a client or model, or print a planning table for a trip.
How the Golden Hour Calculator Works
Golden hour, blue hour and twilight aren't fixed times of day: each is defined by how high the Sun is above or below the horizon. The calculator works out the Sun's position minute by minute for your location and date using the same astronomical equations as the NOAA Solar Calculator, then finds when it crosses each height.
Sun elevation for each light phase
| Phase | Sun elevation | What the light looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Golden hour | −4° to +6° | Low, warm, directional light with long shadows |
| Sunrise and sunset | −0.833° | The top edge of the Sun on the horizon, allowing for refraction |
| Blue hour | −6° to −4° | Deep blue sky, even light; street lights balance the sky |
| Civil twilight | 0° to −6° | Enough light to work without lights |
| Nautical twilight | −6° to −12° | The horizon fades; the brightest stars appear |
| Astronomical twilight | −12° to −18° | Almost dark; after this the sky is fully dark |
How long does golden hour last?
The Sun climbs steeply near the equator and at a shallow angle near the poles, so the same 10° band takes very different times to cross. These figures come from this calculator:
| Place and date | Golden hour | Blue hour |
|---|---|---|
| Quito, Ecuador (equator), March equinox | 40 min | 8 min |
| Singapore, June solstice | 44 min | 9 min |
| New York, September equinox | 53 min | 11 min |
| London, June solstice | 83 min | 19 min |
| London, December solstice | 87 min | 15 min |
| Reykjavík, June solstice | All night | None — the Sun never sinks below −4° |
Camera settings for golden hour and blue hour
- White balance: set Daylight rather than Auto for golden hour, or Auto will cancel the warmth you came for. For blue hour, Daylight keeps the sky blue; around 4000K warms artificial lights and deepens the blue.
- Exposure: meter for the highlights and let shadows fall away. Shooting into the Sun gives silhouettes and rim light; with the Sun behind you, colours glow.
- ISO and aperture: keep ISO low on a tripod. For landscapes use f/8–f/11 and focus at the hyperfocal distance; for portraits open up to f/1.8–f/2.8 and use the low sun as a backlight.
- Filters: a graduated ND filter holds a bright sky; a polariser works best side-on to the Sun; an ND filter lengthens blue-hour exposures to smooth water and clouds.
- Blue hour: exposures run from a second to many seconds, so use a tripod and a remote release, and arrive before sunset — it's over in 10–20 minutes at most latitudes.
Understanding Natural Light
The quality of daylight depends mostly on how high the Sun is. These are the moments photographers plan around.
Golden Hour
With the Sun low, light passes through more atmosphere: it's warmer, softer and comes from the side, giving texture and long shadows.
Great for portraits, landscapes and anything that benefits from flattering, directional light.
Blue Hour
When the Sun is just below the horizon, the sky glows deep blue and evenly lights the scene. Street and building lights come on and balance with the sky.
Tip: use a tripod — exposures run from a second to many seconds.
Twilight Stages
- Civil (to −6°): enough light to work without lights
- Nautical (to −12°): horizon still visible at sea
- Astronomical (to −18°): the sky is fully dark after this — best for the Milky Way
Sunrise and Sunset Direction
The Sun only rises due east and sets due west at the equinoxes. In summer it rises north of east (in the northern hemisphere); in winter south of east.
Check the bearing to line the Sun up with a landmark.
Latitude and Season
Near the equator the Sun rises steeply, so golden hour is short. At high latitudes it climbs slowly and, in summer, may never set — golden light can last for hours.
Harsh Midday Light
With the Sun high, shadows are short and hard and contrast is high. Work in open shade, use diffusion or fill flash, or save the midday hours for scouting.
Golden Hour and Blue Hour FAQs
What is golden hour?
The period after sunrise and before sunset when the Sun is low — this calculator uses from 4° below to 6° above the horizon. Light is warm, soft and directional, with long shadows. Despite the name it lasts about 40 minutes near the equator, 50 to 90 minutes at mid-latitudes, and in high-latitude summers the light can stay golden all night.
What time is golden hour today?
It depends on where you are: golden hour starts when the Sun climbs above 4° below the horizon in the morning and ends when it passes 6° above it, and the reverse in the evening. Enter your location and today's date above for exact times in your own time zone.
What is blue hour?
The deep-blue twilight when the Sun is between 4° and 6° below the horizon, just before golden hour in the morning and just after it in the evening. It's ideal for cityscapes, when the sky and artificial lights are in balance.
Why are my golden hour times different from another app?
There's no single official definition. Apps use different elevation bands — some start golden hour at the horizon, some at −4° — and different refraction assumptions. Differences of a few minutes are normal; the light itself is what matters.
Does my location get stored or sent anywhere?
No. All calculations run in your browser. If you use "Use my location", your device shares its position with this page only, and it isn't sent to our server. If you share a results link, the coordinates are part of that link.
How accurate are the times?
Within about a minute for most places, using the same astronomical equations as the NOAA Solar Calculator. Mountains, buildings and the view to the horizon change when you actually see the Sun, so arrive early.