Next usable light
Vancouver
7:23 PM – 8:26 PM
Solar noonDaytime50.4° · 180° S
Light windows
Fri, Aug 28 · America · VancouverMorning
- Golden hour
- 6:03 AM – 7:07 AM1 hr 3 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 5:50 AM – 6:03 AM13 min of deep blue twilight
Evening
- Golden hour
- 7:23 PM – 8:26 PM1 hr 3 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 8:26 PM – 8:39 PM13 min of deep blue twilight
- Sunrise
- 6:24 AM
- Sunset
- 8:06 PM
- Day length
- 13 hr 42 min
- Solar noon
- 1:15 PM
Where to point the camera
Solar path and bearing
On this selected date, the sun reaches 50° at its highest point and the evening light approaches from 286° WNW.
Pick the month before the day
Light through 2026 in Vancouver
Plan around the season: Vancouver's sampled golden window stretches to 1 hr 19 min in December and compresses to 1 hr 2 min by March. Sunset moves 75° along the horizon between December (234° SW) and June (309° NW), so a spot framed for one season can face away from the light in another. Between December and June the day itself stretches from 8 hr 13 min to 16 hr 13 min, dragging every window with it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Golden window sample | Sunset bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8:03 AM | 4:42 PM | 8 hr 39 min | 3:49 PM · 1 hr 15 min | 238° WSW |
| February | 7:22 AM | 5:33 PM | 10 hr 10 min | 4:47 PM · 1 hr 6 min | 252° WSW |
| March | 7:27 AM | 7:18 PM | 11 hr 51 min | 6:36 PM · 1 hr 2 min | 268° W |
| April | 6:21 AM | 8:05 PM | 13 hr 44 min | 7:22 PM · 1 hr 3 min | 286° WNW |
| May | 5:30 AM | 8:49 PM | 15 hr 19 min | 8:03 PM · 1 hr 10 min | 301° WNW |
| June | 5:07 AM | 9:21 PM | 16 hr 13 min | 8:30 PM · 1 hr 16 min | 309° NW |
| July | 5:24 AM | 9:14 PM | 15 hr 50 min | 8:25 PM · 1 hr 13 min | 305° NW |
| August | 6:05 AM | 8:31 PM | 14 hr 26 min | 7:46 PM · 1 hr 6 min | 293° WNW |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:27 PM | 12 hr 38 min | 6:46 PM · 1 hr 2 min | 276° W |
| October | 7:34 AM | 6:24 PM | 10 hr 50 min | 5:40 PM · 1 hr 3 min | 258° WSW |
| November | 7:24 AM | 4:32 PM | 9 hr 8 min | 3:42 PM · 1 hr 12 min | 242° WSW |
| December | 8:02 AM | 4:15 PM | 8 hr 13 min | 3:19 PM · 1 hr 19 min | 234° SW |
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 ~4 min per day in the fastest season. Clock times follow America · Vancouver, including any daylight-saving change.
Full light and twilight schedule
Midnight to midnight
| Phase | Time |
|---|---|
| Astronomical dawn | 4:24 AM |
| Nautical dawn | 5:09 AM |
| Blue hour (morning) | 5:50 AM |
| Golden hour (morning) | 6:03 AM |
| Sunrise | 6:24 AM |
| Solar noon | 1:15 PM |
| Sunset | 8:06 PM |
| Golden hour (evening) | 7:23 PM |
| Blue hour (evening) | 8:26 PM |
| Nautical dusk | 9:20 PM |
| Astronomical dusk | 10:05 PM |
Seven local days in Vancouver
The week ahead
| Date | Morning golden | Sunrise | Sunset | Evening golden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug 28 | 6:03 AM – 7:07 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:06 PM | 7:23 PM – 8:26 PM |
| Sat, Aug 29 | 6:05 AM – 7:08 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:04 PM | 7:21 PM – 8:24 PM |
| Sun, Aug 30 | 6:06 AM – 7:09 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:01 PM | 7:19 PM – 8:22 PM |
| Mon, Aug 31 | 6:08 AM – 7:11 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:59 PM | 7:17 PM – 8:20 PM |
| Tue, Sep 1 | 6:09 AM – 7:12 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:57 PM | 7:15 PM – 8:18 PM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 6:11 AM – 7:14 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:55 PM | 7:13 PM – 8:15 PM |
| Thu, Sep 3 | 6:12 AM – 7:15 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:53 PM | 7:11 PM – 8:13 PM |
Moon and candidate vantage points
Context to verify
Moon on the selected date
The moon over Vancouver 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. 286° WNW 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 Vancouver, the evening golden hour window runs 1 hr 3 min on the selected date and approaches from 286° 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 Vancouver
- When is golden hour in Vancouver?
- Vancouver has no fixed golden-hour clock time. The usable band begins at +6° and continues through −4°, enclosing sunrise in the morning and sunset in the evening; its representative monthly duration is 62 minutes in March and 79 minutes in December. Use the date control above for the exact boundaries of the day you will shoot.
- Which direction does the sun set in Vancouver?
- Roughly west, but the useful number changes with the season: 234° SW in December versus 309° NW in June in Vancouver. That 75° difference decides whether a street or shoreline actually faces the light on your date.
- How much does day length change in Vancouver?
- In Vancouver, between 8 hr 13 min (December) and 16 hr 13 min (June). The month-by-month table above lists every month.
- Does Vancouver 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 Vancouver's horizon; the instant it passes −4°, blue takes over until −6°. Stay in position after a December golden window (1 hr 19 min at its longest) and the blue phase arrives without you moving a step. Exact times for both are in the panel above.