Golden Hour and Blue Hour: A Photographer's Guide
The exact definitions of golden hour and blue hour, when they happen at different latitudes and seasons, and how to find today's times for your city.
Golden hour is the window when the sun sits low — from about 4° below the horizon to 6° above it — and its light travels through the thickest slice of atmosphere, turning warm, soft and directional. Blue hour is its cool twin: the minutes when the sun is between 6° and 4° below the horizon and the sky glows deep blue.
The sun-altitude cheat sheet
| Sun altitude | Phase | Light character |
|---|---|---|
| −18° to −12° | Astronomical twilight | Fully dark for the naked eye; astrophotography window |
| −12° to −6° | Nautical twilight | Horizon visible at sea; deep blue sky |
| −6° to −4° | Blue hour | Luminous cobalt sky; cityscapes glow |
| −4° to +6° | Golden hour | Warm, soft, low-contrast; long shadows |
| +6° and up | Daylight | Harder light as the sun climbs |
How long golden hour lasts
The sun climbs about 15° per hour near the equator, so golden hour there is genuinely an hour or less. At higher latitudes the sun's path tilts — in Reykjavik in October the sun barely clears 10°, and near the Arctic Circle in June it never drops below 6°, giving a golden hour that lasts effectively all night.
- Equator (Singapore): golden hour lasts roughly 40–50 minutes
- Mid-latitudes (London, New York): about 60–90 minutes, longer in winter
- High latitudes (Stockholm): up to several hours; polar-adjacent summers stretch it indefinitely
Getting today's times
Every city's sunrise/sunset page on this site computes both golden hour windows — morning and evening — for today, plus a 7-day forecast and full month timetable. Start from the sunrise & sunset hub and search your city. The pages also list civil, nautical and astronomical twilight, so landscape and astro shooters can plan the entire shoot in one view.
Frequently asked questions
What time is golden hour?
Roughly the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset, precisely when the sun is between 4° below and 6° above the horizon. Search your city on the sunrise & sunset hub for today's exact window.
What is blue hour?
The window just before sunrise and just after sunset when the sun sits 6° to 4° below the horizon, producing a deep blue sky prized for cityscape photography.
How long is golden hour at the equator?
Shortest there — about 40 to 50 minutes — because the sun rises and sets almost vertically, passing through the low-sun band quickly.