Golden Hour Calculator
The warm light photographers plan around — and the blue twilight either side of it.
How it works
Both windows are defined by how high the sun sits, not by a fixed number of minutes. Golden hour is taken as the sun between −4° and +6° of altitude; blue hour as −6° to −4°. The site solves the NOAA solar equations for the moment the sun crosses each altitude at your latitude and longitude.
Because the windows depend on the sun's angle, their length varies enormously with latitude and season: a few minutes in the tropics, more than an hour in a northern summer, and at high latitudes they may not occur at all — which the tool reports rather than inventing a time.
Examples
An evening portrait session. Golden hour runs from roughly when the sun is six degrees up until it sets. The light is warm and directional, and it changes quickly — the last ten minutes look nothing like the first.
Blue hour for cityscapes. After sunset, while the sun is between four and six degrees below the horizon, the sky holds enough colour to balance against artificial lighting. That window is short and it is the one worth arriving early for.
Somewhere far north in summer. At high latitudes in June the sun skims the horizon and golden hour can last for hours, which is a real practical difference from the tight window at the equator.
Practical notes
Golden and blue hour are defined by the sun's angle rather than by the clock, so their length varies enormously with latitude and season. Near the equator the sun drops almost vertically and the whole thing is over in twenty minutes; in Scotland in June it can run most of the evening.
The times assume clear conditions and a flat horizon. Cloud changes the character of the light completely — sometimes for the better — and a hill or a building to the west cuts the session short regardless of what the calculation says.
Arrive early. The best part is often the ten minutes either side of the nominal boundary, and the light changes fast enough that setting up during the window means missing it.
Frequently asked questions
How long does golden hour last?
It is rarely an hour. Near the equator it can be under half an hour; in high summer at northern latitudes it can last well over an hour. The tool gives the actual duration for your location and date.
What is blue hour?
The period just before sunrise and just after sunset when the sun is between 6° and 4° below the horizon, and the sky takes on a deep even blue.
How accurate are these times?
Within about a minute for the sun's position, but the light you actually get depends on terrain, cloud and haze. Treat them as a plan, not a stopwatch.
What is the difference between golden and blue hour?
Golden hour is the low-sun period around sunrise and sunset. Blue hour is after the sun has set, while it is still between about four and six degrees below the horizon and the sky retains a deep blue cast.
When exactly does golden hour start?
When the sun is about six degrees above the horizon, ending at sunset — and the reverse in the morning. It is an angle rather than a fixed length of time.
Is blue hour before or after sunset?
After, in the evening, and before sunrise in the morning: the period when the sun is four to six degrees below the horizon.
Does cloud ruin it?
Not necessarily. Broken cloud often improves it by catching colour; solid overcast removes the directional light that makes it worth planning for.
Does it work for any location?
Anywhere with coordinates. Inside the polar circles the sun may not cross the relevant angles at all, and the page says so rather than inventing a time.
Is the morning golden hour different?
The geometry is identical. The air is often clearer and stiller after a cold night, which is why photographers favour it.
What settings should I use?
That depends on your camera and intent rather than on the time of day. What the hour gives you is low, warm, directional light — the exposure decisions follow from that.
Does golden hour happen on cloudy days?
The sun still reaches the same angles, but heavy overcast removes the low directional light that gives the hour its character. Broken cloud often improves it, catching colour that a clear sky does not.
Can I plan a shoot weeks ahead?
Yes. Solar geometry is entirely predictable, so the times for a date next year are as reliable as tomorrow's. Only the weather is unknown.
Is there an app for this?
No, and none is needed. The page works offline once loaded, so it behaves like an app without installing anything — add it to your home screen if you want it a tap away.