Next usable light
Columbus
7:35 PM – 8:29 PM
Solar noonDaytime59.7° · 181° S
Light windows
Fri, Aug 28 · America · New YorkMorning
- Golden hour
- 6:40 AM – 7:33 AM53 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 6:29 AM – 6:40 AM11 min of deep blue twilight
Evening
- Golden hour
- 7:35 PM – 8:29 PM53 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 8:29 PM – 8:40 PM11 min of deep blue twilight
- Sunrise
- 6:57 AM
- Sunset
- 8:12 PM
- Day length
- 13 hr 15 min
- Solar noon
- 1:34 PM
Where to point the camera
Solar path and bearing
On this selected date, the sun reaches 60° at its highest point and the evening light approaches from 284° WNW.
Pick the month before the day
Light through 2026 in Columbus
Plan around the season: Columbus's sampled golden window stretches to 1 hr 2 min in December and compresses to 52 min by March. Where to stand changes with the calendar: 240° WSW in December swings to 302° WNW by June, 62° of horizon between them. June days run 15 hr; by December they shrink to 9 hr 21 min.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Golden window sample | Sunset bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:53 AM | 5:31 PM | 9 hr 39 min | 4:50 PM · 1 hr | 243° WSW |
| February | 7:26 AM | 6:08 PM | 10 hr 42 min | 5:31 PM · 55 min | 254° WSW |
| March | 7:44 AM | 7:39 PM | 11 hr 55 min | 7:03 PM · 52 min | 268° W |
| April | 6:55 AM | 8:10 PM | 13 hr 15 min | 7:34 PM · 53 min | 284° WNW |
| May | 6:18 AM | 8:41 PM | 14 hr 23 min | 8:02 PM · 57 min | 296° WNW |
| June | 6:04 AM | 9:03 PM | 15 hr | 8:22 PM · 1 hr | 302° WNW |
| July | 6:16 AM | 9:01 PM | 14 hr 44 min | 8:21 PM · 59 min | 299° WNW |
| August | 6:44 AM | 8:30 PM | 13 hr 46 min | 7:53 PM · 55 min | 289° WNW |
| September | 7:14 AM | 7:43 PM | 12 hr 29 min | 7:07 PM · 52 min | 275° W |
| October | 7:43 AM | 6:54 PM | 11 hr 11 min | 6:17 PM · 53 min | 260° W |
| November | 7:18 AM | 5:17 PM | 9 hr 59 min | 4:37 PM · 58 min | 246° WSW |
| December | 7:47 AM | 5:09 PM | 9 hr 21 min | 4:26 PM · 1 hr 2 min | 240° WSW |
Find the months when sunset faces your spot
Pick the direction your subject faces the sky. Months whose sunset lands within ±10° light up in the table above. Disabled shortcuts have no matching row in this visible mid-month sample.
Each row samples the 15th of the month at these coordinates, so dates near a month boundary can differ from the printed row — around here day length moves up to ~3 min per day in the fastest season. Clock times follow America · New York, including any daylight-saving change.
Full light and twilight schedule
Midnight to midnight
| Phase | Time |
|---|---|
| Astronomical dawn | 5:20 AM |
| Nautical dawn | 5:55 AM |
| Blue hour (morning) | 6:29 AM |
| Golden hour (morning) | 6:40 AM |
| Sunrise | 6:57 AM |
| Solar noon | 1:34 PM |
| Sunset | 8:12 PM |
| Golden hour (evening) | 7:35 PM |
| Blue hour (evening) | 8:29 PM |
| Nautical dusk | 9:13 PM |
| Astronomical dusk | 9:48 PM |
Seven local days in Columbus
The week ahead
| Date | Morning golden | Sunrise | Sunset | Evening golden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug 28 | 6:40 AM – 7:33 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:12 PM | 7:35 PM – 8:29 PM |
| Sat, Aug 29 | 6:41 AM – 7:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:10 PM | 7:34 PM – 8:27 PM |
| Sun, Aug 30 | 6:42 AM – 7:35 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:09 PM | 7:32 PM – 8:26 PM |
| Mon, Aug 31 | 6:43 AM – 7:36 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:07 PM | 7:31 PM – 8:24 PM |
| Tue, Sep 1 | 6:44 AM – 7:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:05 PM | 7:29 PM – 8:22 PM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 6:45 AM – 7:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:04 PM | 7:28 PM – 8:21 PM |
| Thu, Sep 3 | 6:46 AM – 7:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:02 PM | 7:26 PM – 8:19 PM |
Moon and candidate vantage points
Context to verify
Moon on the selected date
The moon over Columbus is a Full Moon, 100% lit. Treat this as lighting context, not a visibility forecast.
Candidate vantage points
They are map-search starting points, not ranked recommendations; current access, closures, permits, safety, and unobstructed views have not been verified. The selected-date sunset bearing is 284° WNW; if a composition faces elsewhere, use the bearing planner in the month table above to find sampled months that align. This mathematical bearing is a planning aid and does not prove visibility.
Plan and calculation notes
Assumptions and limits
Plan this specific light
In Columbus, the evening golden hour window runs 53 min on the selected date and approaches from 284° WNW. Arrive 15 minutes before its start when that window occurs, then choose a position with an open view toward that bearing. Don't rely on the generic “one hour before sunset” rule here — the real window shifts with the season, so check the computed times for your date.
See the calculation method and limits before relying on the estimate in terrain-sensitive or safety-critical conditions.
Common questions
Golden hour FAQ for Columbus
- When is golden hour in Columbus?
- Start with the sun angle in Columbus: +6° to −4°. The morning crossing carries sunrise and the later crossing carries sunset, while the representative monthly span is 52 minutes in March and 62 minutes in December. The selected-date light panel translates that geometry into local clock times.
- Which direction does the sun set in Columbus?
- There is no single answer — over the year the sunset point travels 62° along Columbus's horizon, between 240° WSW (December) and 302° WNW (June). The month table above lists the bearing for each month, and the sun-path panel computes it per date.
- How much does day length change in Columbus?
- In Columbus, between 9 hr 21 min (December) and 15 hr (June). The month-by-month table above lists every month.
- Does Columbus get blue hour right after golden hour?
- Always — the two are one continuous descent of the sun. Gold runs while the sun sits between +6° and −4° of Columbus's horizon; the instant it passes −4°, blue takes over until −6°. Stay in position after a December golden window (1 hr 2 min at its longest) and the blue phase arrives without you moving a step. Exact times for both are in the panel above.