How to find golden hour
- Pick a city, tap Use my location, or type the latitude and longitude of your shooting spot (you can copy them from any map app).
- Choose the date and check the time zone. It is set automatically for listed cities.
- Read sunrise, sunset, the morning and evening golden hours, the blue hours and day length. The compass direction shows where the sun rises and sets.
What are golden hour and blue hour?
Golden hour is the time shortly after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is low in the sky, roughly between 6° above and 4° below the horizon. Sunlight travels through more atmosphere, so it is warm, soft and directional, with long shadows and flattering skin tones. Blue hour follows sunset (and precedes sunrise) when the sun is 4° to 6° below the horizon: the sky turns deep blue and city lights balance with the ambient light, ideal for cityscapes.
Despite the name, golden hour is not always an hour. Near the equator the sun drops steeply and it lasts 20–30 minutes; at high latitudes in summer it can last for hours, or the sun may never set at all.
How it is calculated
This calculator uses the NOAA solar position algorithm, the same equations used by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's solar calculator. It computes the sun's elevation for every minute of the chosen day at your coordinates and finds where it crosses each threshold. Sunrise and sunset use −0.833°, which accounts for atmospheric refraction and the size of the sun's disc. Results are typically within a minute of official tables; hills, buildings and weather affect what you actually see.
Your location is used only in your browser to do the maths. It is not sent anywhere.
Is golden hour the same every day?
No. It shifts with sunrise and sunset and is longer in winter at mid latitudes, when the sun's path is shallower.
Why does the sun set behind the hills earlier than shown?
Times assume a flat horizon at sea level. Mountains or tall buildings to the west hide the sun before the calculated sunset.
What is solar noon?
The moment the sun is highest in the sky. Because of time zones and daylight saving time it is rarely exactly 12:00.
Which way should I face for sunset photos?
The sunset card shows the compass direction of the sun as it sets, such as W in spring and autumn, NW in northern summer and SW in northern winter.