Next usable light
Raleigh
7:15 PM – 8:05 PM
Solar noonDaytime63.9° · 181° S
Light windows
Fri, Aug 28 · America · New YorkMorning
- Golden hour
- 6:28 AM – 7:19 AM50 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 6:18 AM – 6:28 AM10 min of deep blue twilight
Evening
- Golden hour
- 7:15 PM – 8:05 PM50 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 8:05 PM – 8:16 PM10 min of deep blue twilight
- Sunrise
- 6:44 AM
- Sunset
- 7:49 PM
- Day length
- 13 hr 5 min
- Solar noon
- 1:17 PM
Where to point the camera
Solar path and bearing
On this selected date, the sun reaches 64° at its highest point and the evening light approaches from 283° WNW.
Pick the month before the day
Light through 2026 in Raleigh
Raleigh's sampled golden window runs from about 49 min in March to 57 min in December. Sunset moves 58° along the horizon between December (242° WSW) and June (300° WNW), so a spot framed for one season can face away from the light in another. Between December and June the day itself stretches from 9 hr 45 min to 14 hr 34 min, dragging every window with it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Golden window sample | Sunset bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:25 AM | 5:25 PM | 10 hr | 4:46 PM · 56 min | 244° WSW |
| February | 7:03 AM | 5:57 PM | 10 hr 54 min | 5:21 PM · 51 min | 255° WSW |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:22 PM | 11 hr 56 min | 6:49 PM · 49 min | 268° W |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:48 PM | 13 hr 6 min | 7:14 PM · 50 min | 283° WNW |
| May | 6:10 AM | 8:13 PM | 14 hr 3 min | 7:37 PM · 54 min | 294° WNW |
| June | 5:59 AM | 8:33 PM | 14 hr 34 min | 7:55 PM · 56 min | 300° WNW |
| July | 6:10 AM | 8:32 PM | 14 hr 21 min | 7:55 PM · 55 min | 298° WNW |
| August | 6:34 AM | 8:06 PM | 13 hr 32 min | 7:31 PM · 52 min | 288° WNW |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:24 PM | 12 hr 26 min | 6:50 PM · 49 min | 274° W |
| October | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 11 hr 19 min | 6:06 PM · 50 min | 260° W |
| November | 6:51 AM | 5:09 PM | 10 hr 17 min | 4:31 PM · 54 min | 248° WSW |
| December | 7:18 AM | 5:03 PM | 9 hr 45 min | 4:24 PM · 57 min | 242° 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 ~2 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 | 5:14 AM |
| Nautical dawn | 5:47 AM |
| Blue hour (morning) | 6:18 AM |
| Golden hour (morning) | 6:28 AM |
| Sunrise | 6:44 AM |
| Solar noon | 1:17 PM |
| Sunset | 7:49 PM |
| Golden hour (evening) | 7:15 PM |
| Blue hour (evening) | 8:05 PM |
| Nautical dusk | 8:47 PM |
| Astronomical dusk | 9:19 PM |
Seven local days in Raleigh
The week ahead
| Date | Morning golden | Sunrise | Sunset | Evening golden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug 28 | 6:28 AM – 7:19 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:49 PM | 7:15 PM – 8:05 PM |
| Sat, Aug 29 | 6:29 AM – 7:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:48 PM | 7:14 PM – 8:04 PM |
| Sun, Aug 30 | 6:30 AM – 7:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:47 PM | 7:12 PM – 8:03 PM |
| Mon, Aug 31 | 6:31 AM – 7:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:45 PM | 7:11 PM – 8:01 PM |
| Tue, Sep 1 | 6:31 AM – 7:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:44 PM | 7:10 PM – 8:00 PM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 6:32 AM – 7:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:42 PM | 7:08 PM – 7:58 PM |
| Thu, Sep 3 | 6:33 AM – 7:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:41 PM | 7:07 PM – 7:57 PM |
Moon and candidate vantage points
Context to verify
Moon on the selected date
The moon over Raleigh 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 283° 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 Raleigh, the evening golden hour window runs 50 min on the selected date and approaches from 283° 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 Raleigh
- When is golden hour in Raleigh?
- The reliable answer is an angle, not a clock time: golden hour is the span with the sun between +6° and −4° of the horizon, around sunrise and again around sunset. In Raleigh the representative monthly span is 49 minutes in March and 57 minutes in December. The panel above computes it for the exact date you pick.
- Which direction does the sun set in Raleigh?
- Roughly west, but the useful number changes with the season: 242° WSW in December versus 300° WNW in June in Raleigh. That 58° difference decides whether a street or shoreline actually faces the light on your date.
- How much does day length change in Raleigh?
- In Raleigh, between 9 hr 45 min (December) and 14 hr 34 min (June). The month-by-month table above lists every month.
- Does Raleigh get blue hour right after golden hour?
- Yes — they are adjacent bands of the same descent: golden hour spans +6° to −4° of solar altitude and blue hour continues from −4° to −6°. In Raleigh, the representative December golden window lasts 57 min; on ordinary dates evening blue begins when its evening side ends, while polar dates can merge or wrap overnight. The light-windows panel above computes both for any date.