Find golden hour and blue hour for any place and day
Enter a place and a date for golden hour, blue hour, twilight, the sun's direction at sunrise and sunset, and a 24 hour strip.
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- Sunrise
- Sunset
- Solar noon
- Day length
| Phase | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Golden hour, sun from −4° to 6° | ||
| Blue hour, sun from −6° to −4° | ||
| Civil twilight, sun from −6° to the horizon | ||
| Nautical twilight, sun from −12° to −6° | ||
| Astronomical twilight, sun from −18° to −12° |
How to find golden hour and blue hour
- Choose a place from the list, use your location, or type the latitude and longitude in degrees.
- Pick the date. The times are for that calendar day in your browser's time zone.
- Read the morning and evening golden hour and blue hour. Each band is the time the sun spends between the two heights in its row.
- Read the sun's compass direction at sunrise and sunset, and the strip to see the whole day at a glance.
Why I built it for the evening
I shoot at Lake Jasna and at Zelenci, near Kranjska Gora, mostly at dusk. The light there changes quickly, so I want the times before I drive up: when the golden hour starts, when the blue hour ends and which way the sun is when it goes down. The examples on this page are the calculator's own output, not numbers I typed in.
Golden hour and blue hour in order
Golden hour is the time when the sun is between −4° and 6° above the horizon, so its light is low and warm. Blue hour is the time when it is between −6° and −4°, just below the horizon, when the sky is still lit and the light is soft. In Ljubljana on 21 June 2026, in Central European Summer Time, the sun sets at 20:56. The evening golden hour runs from 20:10 to 21:20, the evening blue hour from 21:20 to 21:35, and civil twilight ends at 21:35.
The sun's direction at sunrise and sunset
The compass arrows show where the sun is on the horizon. In Ljubljana on 21 June 2026 it rises at 54° (north-east) and sets at 306° (north-west). On 21 December it rises at 124° (south-east) and sets at 236° (south-west), so in winter the sun goes down much further to the south.
Far north, where the sun does not set
Tromsø is at 69.65° N. On 21 June 2026, in Central European Summer Time, the sun stays above the horizon all day, so the calculator shows midnight sun in place of a sunrise and a sunset, and the evening golden hour starts at 22:35 with no end on that day. On 21 December the sun stays below the horizon all day. There is no sunrise or sunset, but the golden and blue hour bands still pass around midday.
Tips for better results
- The times assume a flat horizon at sea level. A mountain, a ridge or a lake shore blocks the sun earlier than the calculator shows, so look at the horizon on the spot.
- Use the sunset direction with a map to see which side of the lake or the town the sun will go down behind.
- The calculator gives the sun's position, not the cloud cover. Check the sky before you plan the shot around the golden hour.
- Blue hour begins as the golden hour ends, so one visit can cover both. Check the start of each band before you set out.
Privacy
Your location never leaves your device. The browser asks for permission before it reads your location, and the sun position is calculated on the page, with no server involved.
Frequently asked questions
What is golden hour?
Golden hour is the time when the sun is between −4° and 6° above the horizon, so its light is low, soft and warm. There is one in the morning and one in the evening. In Ljubljana on 21 June 2026, in Central European Summer Time, the evening one runs from 20:10 to 21:20.
What is blue hour?
Blue hour is the time when the sun is between −6° and −4° below the horizon. The sky is still lit, usually blue, and the light is soft. In Ljubljana on 21 June 2026, in Central European Summer Time, the evening blue hour runs from 21:20 to 21:35.
Why does the calculator say midnight sun?
On some dates at high latitudes the sun never sets, or never rises. Tromsø on 21 June 2026 is one: the sun stays above the horizon all day. The calculator shows midnight sun in those rows instead of an error.
Does the calculator send my location anywhere?
No. The browser reads your location only when you press Use my location, and the sun is calculated on your device. Nothing is sent to a server.
Which time zone are the times in?
The times are in your browser's time zone, for the calendar day you choose. The widget shows the zone name above the results.
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