Golden Hour Calculator
Estimates sunset time (and so when evening golden hour begins) from your latitude, longitude, day of year, and timezone. Ideal for photographers scouting shoot times for sunrise or sunset light.
Last updated: September 2026
Formula below · 1 source (Wikipedia) · Updated Sep 2026
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About this calculator
Golden hour occurs roughly 1 hour after sunrise and 1 hour before sunset, when the sun is low on the horizon and produces warm, diffused light. Solar noon — the moment the sun is highest — is the anchor for all solar time calculations. This calculator returns the sunset time in standard clock hours (for example 19.52 = 7:31 PM; add one hour for daylight saving time). Solar noon is 12 + timezone − longitude / 15 − EoT / 60, where longitude / 15 converts degrees to hours (the Earth rotates 15° per hour; west longitudes are negative) and EoT ≈ 9.87 sin(2B) − 7.53 cos(B) − 1.5 sin(B) minutes, with B = 2π(dayOfYear − 81)/364, is the equation of time from the tilt of Earth's axis and its elliptical orbit. Sunset follows solar noon by half the day length, H / 15 hours, where the hour angle H = arccos((sin(−0.833°) − sin(lat) × sin δ) / (cos(lat) × cos δ)) and the declination δ = 23.44° × sin(2π(284 + dayOfYear)/365); the −0.833° allows for refraction and the sun's radius. Evening golden hour begins about an hour before the result. Latitude strongly influences golden hour duration — at high latitudes the sun stays near the horizon much longer, extending golden light.
How to use
Suppose you are shooting in Denver, CO: latitude = 39.7°, longitude = −104.9°, timezone = −7 (Mountain Standard Time), day of year = 80 (March 21). Solar noon ≈ 12 − 7 + 6.99 + 0.13 ≈ 12.12 (12:07 PM MST). Declination is about −0.4°, so the half-day is about 6.05 hours and sunset ≈ 18.17, about 6:10 PM MST (7:10 PM MDT, since daylight time is in effect on March 21). Golden hour before sunset begins roughly 1 hour earlier, about 6:10 PM MDT. Use the result to plan your arrival at the location with time to set up gear before the light peaks.
Frequently asked questions
How long does golden hour actually last in different locations?
Despite the name, golden hour rarely lasts exactly 60 minutes. At the equator the sun sets quickly at a steep angle, so golden light may last only 20–30 minutes. At latitudes above 50° in summer, the sun can graze the horizon for over 90 minutes, dramatically extending the warm light window. In winter at high latitudes, the sun barely rises, meaning golden light can persist for most of the short day. Always check the calculated times for your specific location and date rather than assuming a fixed one-hour window.
What is the difference between golden hour and blue hour for photography?
Golden hour occurs just after sunrise or just before sunset when the sun is between 0° and 6° above the horizon, casting warm orange and yellow tones with long shadows. Blue hour follows immediately after sunset (or precedes sunrise), when the sun is between 4° and 8° below the horizon and the sky takes on a deep, even blue tone. Blue hour is ideal for cityscapes because artificial lights balance naturally with the ambient sky. Neither period is a strict 60-minute block — both vary with latitude, season, and atmospheric conditions.
Why does longitude affect the timing of solar noon and golden hour?
Solar noon occurs when the sun is directly over your meridian (line of longitude). Standard time zones are centered on meridians that are multiples of 15° apart, but your actual longitude rarely matches the zone center exactly. For every degree you are west of your zone's central meridian, solar noon is about 4 minutes later than clock noon; for every degree east, it is earlier. In a wide time zone like the US Mountain zone, this offset can shift golden hour by 30 minutes or more compared to a location on the opposite edge of the same zone.
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Sources & references
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