How to use this tool
- Pick your place by searching, using your location, or keeping the place estimated from your time zone.
- Pick a date. Today is selected by default, and the card at the top counts down to the next golden hour or tells you if it is happening right now.
- Check the direction. The compass shows where the sun will be during morning (yellow) and evening (orange) golden hour, so you know which side of a subject will be lit.
- Plan ahead. The seven-day table shows how the times shift, and the calendar button saves them to your phone.
Golden hour and blue hour
- Golden hour (sun from +6° to −4°): low, warm, directional light with long shadows. The last minutes before sunset and the first after sunrise usually have the strongest colour.
- Blue hour (sun from −4° to −6°): the sun is below the horizon and the sky turns deep blue. It is short, usually 10 to 20 minutes at mid-latitudes, and ideal for city lights, water and night-time scenes with some detail left in the sky.
The length of both depends on latitude and season. Near the equator golden hour is short, because the sun sets steeply; at high latitudes in summer it can last for hours. The guide what is golden hour explains why.
Worked example
In Ljubljana on the September equinox, the evening golden hour runs from about 18:18 to 19:16 and blue hour from about 19:16 to 19:27. The sun sets almost due west, at about 270°. Three months later, on the December solstice, evening golden hour starts at about 15:30 and the sun sets far in the south-west, at about 236°.
Tips
- Times assume a flat horizon. With mountains or tall buildings to the west, the evening golden light ends earlier. Use the sun position map to see what lies in the sun’s direction.
- For photos with the sun behind a landmark, see planning sunrise and sunset photos.
- The weather decides the colour, but not the timing. Thin, high clouds and a clear gap on the horizon often give the best sunsets.
Last updated September 23, 2026