Golden Hour Calculator
Calculate golden hour and blue hour times based on your latitude and date.
Plan perfect lighting for photography.
Golden hour occurs when the sun is between 6 degrees above and 0 degrees relative to the horizon. It produces warm, soft, directional light ideal for photography.
Blue hour occurs when the sun is between 4 degrees and 6 degrees below the horizon, creating cool blue tones.
Solar position calculation uses the solar declination and hour angle:
Solar Declination ≈ -23.45° × cos(360/365 × (day + 10))
Hour Angle = arccos((sin(altitude) − sin(lat) × sin(dec)) / (cos(lat) × cos(dec)))
The four phases (evening):
- Golden hour starts: Sun at ~6° above horizon
- Sunset: Sun at 0° (horizon)
- Blue hour (civil twilight): Sun 0° to -6° below
- Blue hour ends: Sun below -6°
Morning is reversed — blue hour first, then golden hour.
Photography tips by light phase:
- Golden hour: Portraits, landscapes, architecture — warm tones, long shadows
- Blue hour: Cityscapes, seascapes — cool tones, artificial lights balance with sky
- Both: Low contrast, flattering skin tones, dramatic skies
Note: Times are approximate. Local terrain, elevation, and atmospheric conditions affect actual lighting.