Next usable light

Sun, Oct 25

Sacramento

Evening golden hour

5:39 PM – 6:32 PM

7:26 AMsunrise6:16 PMsunset 12:51 PMsolar noonsolar noon: 12:51 PM, 39.3° altitude
nightblue hourgolden hourdaylightgolden hourblue hournight000306091215182124

Solar noonDaytime39.3° · 180° S

Take this plan with you

Planning estimate. Calculated in your browser from fixed city coordinates and solar-altitude thresholds. Weather, terrain, buildings, local access, and elevation are not included. Method & limits →

View the detailed light plan →

Light windows

Sun, Oct 25 · America · Los Angeles

Morning

Golden hour
7:09 AM – 8:03 AM53 min of warm light
Blue hour
6:59 AM – 7:09 AM10 min of deep blue twilight

Evening

Golden hour
5:39 PM – 6:32 PM53 min of warm light
Blue hour
6:32 PM – 6:43 PM10 min of deep blue twilight
Sunrise
7:26 AM
Sunset
6:16 PM
Day length
10 hr 50 min
Solar noon
12:51 PM

Where to point the camera

Solar path and bearing

0006121824 sunrisesunset solar noon: 12:51 PM, 39.3° altitude
Sunrise direction105° ESE
Sunset direction255° WSW
Sun's highest point39°
Day length vs yesterday−2 min

On this selected date, the sun reaches 39° at its highest point and the evening light approaches from 255° WSW.

Pick the month before the day

Light through 2026 in Sacramento

Sacramento's sampled golden window runs from about 51 min in March to 1 hr in December. Check the bearing column before trusting a remembered spot: sunset lands at 241° WSW in December but 301° WNW in June, a 60° shift. Day length spans 9 hr 29 min in December to 14 hr 51 min in June.

Monthlocal day · 00–24
Annual light atlasJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Exact monthly readings
MonthSunriseSunsetDay lengthGolden window sampleSunset bearing
January 7:23 AM 5:09 PM 9 hr 46 min 4:29 PM · 58 min 243° WSW
February 6:58 AM 5:44 PM 10 hr 47 min 5:07 PM · 54 min 255° WSW
March 7:18 AM 7:13 PM 11 hr 55 min 6:38 PM · 51 min 268° W
April 6:30 AM 7:43 PM 13 hr 12 min 7:07 PM · 52 min 283° WNW
May 5:55 AM 8:11 PM 14 hr 16 min 7:34 PM · 56 min 295° WNW
June 5:42 AM 8:33 PM 14 hr 51 min 7:53 PM · 59 min 301° WNW
July 5:54 AM 8:31 PM 14 hr 36 min 7:52 PM · 58 min 299° WNW
August 6:21 AM 8:02 PM 13 hr 41 min 7:25 PM · 54 min 289° WNW
September 6:48 AM 7:16 PM 12 hr 27 min 6:41 PM · 51 min 275° W
October 7:16 AM 6:29 PM 11 hr 13 min 5:53 PM · 52 min 260° W
November 6:49 AM 4:54 PM 10 hr 5 min 4:15 PM · 57 min 247° WSW
December 7:17 AM 4:47 PM 9 hr 29 min 4:05 PM · 1 hr 241° 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 · Los Angeles, including any daylight-saving change.

Full light and twilight schedule

Midnight to midnight
PhaseTime
Astronomical dawn5:57 AM
Nautical dawn6:28 AM
Blue hour (morning)6:59 AM
Golden hour (morning)7:09 AM
Sunrise7:26 AM
Solar noon12:51 PM
Sunset6:16 PM
Golden hour (evening)5:39 PM
Blue hour (evening)6:32 PM
Nautical dusk7:14 PM
Astronomical dusk7:44 PM

Seven local days in Sacramento

The week ahead
DateMorning goldenSunriseSunsetEvening golden
Sun, Oct 25 7:09 AM – 8:03 AM 7:26 AM 6:16 PM 5:39 PM – 6:32 PM
Mon, Oct 26 7:10 AM – 8:04 AM 7:27 AM 6:14 PM 5:37 PM – 6:31 PM
Tue, Oct 27 7:11 AM – 8:05 AM 7:28 AM 6:13 PM 5:36 PM – 6:30 PM
Wed, Oct 28 7:12 AM – 8:06 AM 7:29 AM 6:12 PM 5:35 PM – 6:29 PM
Thu, Oct 29 7:13 AM – 8:07 AM 7:30 AM 6:11 PM 5:34 PM – 6:27 PM
Fri, Oct 30 7:14 AM – 8:08 AM 7:31 AM 6:09 PM 5:32 PM – 6:26 PM
Sat, Oct 31 7:15 AM – 8:10 AM 7:32 AM 6:08 PM 5:31 PM – 6:25 PM

Moon and candidate vantage points

Context to verify

Moon on the selected date

The moon over Sacramento is a Full Moon, 100% lit. Treat this as lighting context, not a visibility forecast.

Candidate vantage points

Use them only as map-search leads; they are not ranked recommendations. We have not verified current access, closures, permits, safety, or an unobstructed view. 255° WSW is the selected-date mathematical sunset bearing; if another composition faces elsewhere, use the bearing planner in the month table above to locate better-matched sampled months. The number is a planning aid and does not prove visibility.

Plan and calculation notes

Assumptions and limits

Plan this specific light

In Sacramento, the evening golden hour window runs 53 min on the selected date and approaches from 255° WSW. 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 Sacramento

When is golden hour in Sacramento?
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 Sacramento the representative monthly span is 51 minutes in March and 60 minutes in December. The panel above computes it for the exact date you pick.
Which direction does the sun set in Sacramento?
In Sacramento it depends on the month: 241° WSW in December, moving to 301° WNW by June — a 60° annual swing. Use the sun-path panel above to read the exact bearing for your shoot date.
How much does day length change in Sacramento?
Sacramento's swing is 5 hr 22 min: December bottoms out around 9 hr 29 min of daylight while June peaks near 14 hr 51 min. Each month's numbers are in the table above.
Does Sacramento 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 Sacramento's horizon; the instant it passes −4°, blue takes over until −6°. Stay in position after a December golden window (1 hr at its longest) and the blue phase arrives without you moving a step. Exact times for both are in the panel above.

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