Golden Hour Calculator: Times for Any Place and Date
This golden hour calculator shows when the warm light starts and ends in the morning and evening for any place and date, plus the blue hour and the times of sunrise and sunset.
Source: NOAA – Solar Calculation Details (Sonnenstandsrechnung). Updated: .
How it is calculated
Golden hour is the warm, soft light shortly after sunrise and before sunset, when the sun is low. How long it lasts depends on your location and the season.
How it is calculated
The calculator uses the NOAA solar position method to find when the sun reaches certain altitudes. Golden hour starts at a sun altitude of −4° and ends at 6° (or 10°); blue hour lies before and after it, when the sun is 4° to 8° below the horizon. The farther a place is from the equator, the shallower the sun climbs and the longer golden hour lasts.
What it is useful for
- Planning landscape, portrait and architecture shots for the best light.
- Scheduling drone flights, wedding photos or outdoor shoots.
- Comparing places and days without installing an app.
Frequently asked questions
When is golden hour?
Shortly after sunrise and before sunset, while the sun is low. The calculator shows the exact times for your place and date.
How long does golden hour last?
Usually between 40 minutes and over an hour, and in summer in central Europe much longer than at the equator. The table lists the duration in minutes.
What is blue hour?
The twilight phase in which the sun is 4° to 8° below the horizon and the light looks bluish. It comes before golden hour in the morning and after it in the evening.
Why do golden hour times differ between sources?
The term is not standardised. Some use a fixed hour, others a sun altitude between −4° and 6° or 10°. You can set the upper limit here.
Sources and legal basis
- NOAA – Solar Calculation Details (Sonnenstandsrechnung)
- Wikipedia – Golden hour (photography) (kein amtlicher Zeitraum, Sonnenhöhe als Maß)
- Wikipedia – Blue hour (Sun 4° to 8° below the horizon)
As of: · Editorial policy
Related tools
- Sun Position CalculatorSun position for any place and date: azimuth and altitude through the day as a chart, sunrise, solar noon, sunset and twilight – NOAA method, no app needed.
- Exposure Value Calculator: EV and Equivalent ExposureExposure value calculator: work out the EV from aperture, shutter speed and ISO and see equivalent shutter speeds for every aperture. With working, free.
- Angle of View Calculator: Horizontal, Vertical, DiagonalAngle of view calculator for any focal length and sensor size: horizontal, vertical and diagonal angle, plus the framed width at any distance and crop factor.
- 500 Rule Calculator: Longest Exposure Before Star Trails500 rule calculator: maximum exposure time for point-like stars from focal length, sensor, aperture and megapixels, plus the more accurate NPF rule. Free.
- Time zone meeting plannerPlan a meeting across time zones: pick cities, a date and working hours to see the overlap in every local time, with daylight saving time handled.
- Moon Phase Calendar 2026: Moon Phase Today and Full MoonMoon phase calendar 2026: today’s moon phase with illumination in percent, next full moon with time and countdown, monthly calendar, moon sign and moonrise.
- kg to lbs converterConvert kg to lbs and back: 1 kg = 2.2046 lb. Shows pounds and ounces, stone and pounds, grams, tons and a kg to lbs chart – exact to the legal definition.
- Tablespoons to cups and cups to tablespoons converterTablespoons to cups: divide by 16, so 4 tbsp = 1/4 cup. Pick US, metric or Australian spoons, type tablespoons and get cups and the nearest cup fraction.
- Minutes to seconds and seconds to minutes converterMinutes to seconds: multiply by 60, so 2.5 min = 150 s. Type minutes for seconds and the m:ss form, or seconds for minutes, plus the decimal trap.