Golden Hour Calculator
Golden hour is the hour-ish window when the sun sits within about 6° of the horizon and light turns warm, directional and forgiving - portraits glow, cities turn amber, and every photographer's feed gets better. It is not a fixed time: it shifts with latitude and season, from a reliable hour at mid-latitudes to most of the nightless summer day up north. This calculator computes it from solar position, not from a lookup table.
Enter a date and coordinates and it gives the full light plan: sunrise, when the morning window closes, when the evening window opens, and sunset - all in your device's timezone, with the window length stated so you know whether you're working with 70 minutes or 25. Location and date are remembered for the next scout, and the share link hands the whole schedule to your shooting partner.
How to use
- Pick the date and enter your latitude and longitude.
- Read the morning and evening golden windows plus sunrise and sunset.
- Arrive 20 minutes early - the first half of the window is the best light.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is golden hour?
The period when the sun is low - roughly within 6° of the horizon. Sunlight then travels through much more atmosphere, which scatters away blue light and leaves warm, soft, directional illumination with long shadows. It occurs twice daily, and its length varies hugely with latitude and season - this calculator derives it from solar geometry rather than guessing '60 minutes'.
How accurate are the times?
The math is the standard NOAA-style solar position model (declination, equation of time, horizon at -0.833° for sunrise/sunset and +6° for the golden edge), typically accurate to a couple of minutes. Local terrain matters more than formula error: mountains and tall buildings end the window early, so treat the times as your plan, not a guarantee.
What's the difference between golden hour and blue hour?
Golden hour is before sunset (sun 6° above horizon to setting); blue hour is just after, when the sun is below the horizon and remaining light is deep blue - the cityscape and twilight-buildings window. The note under tonight's plan reminds you blue hour follows immediately if you're shooting skylines.
Why does golden hour last longer in summer or up north?
The sun's path meets the horizon at a shallower angle when the days are long, so it crawls through the 6° band instead of diving through it. At mid-latitudes the evening window runs 30-60 minutes; near the Arctic in midsummer the sun can graze the horizon all night. The window-length stat shows your number for the date.