Golden hour and blue hour

What the hours mean

Golden hour is the period when the sun is between 4° below and 6° above the horizon. Light is warm, soft and low, which is why photographers and cinematographers plan around it. Blue hour is when the sun is between 6° and 4° below the horizon: the sky glows deep blue and street lights start to show.

Times come from the same solar calculations as the sunrise and sunset pages. They assume a flat horizon; hills, buildings and weather change what you see. Near the poles in summer or winter the sun may never reach these angles, and the page says so instead of guessing. For a place that is not in the list, use "Use my location" or open its sun page.