Columbus · United States · Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Tonight's golden hour
ends at 21:24
Begin at 20:23, then the sky transitions through blue hour, civil twilight, and nautical twilight before true night at 23:07.
Columbus sky chart
- Civil dawn
- 05:31
- Nautical dawn
- 04:49
- Astronomical dawn
- 04:01
- Civil dusk
- 21:37
- Nautical dusk
- 22:19
- Astronomical dusk
- 23:07
What is golden hour, exactly?
It's the period when the sun is low (about -4° to +6° altitude). Light is warm, soft, and directional. sunhour computes morning and evening golden hours separately for any place on Earth, every day.
What is blue hour?
The short cool-toned window after sunset (or before sunrise) when the sun is between -4° and -6° below the horizon. The sky takes on a deep blue glow that photographers prize for cityscapes.
How accurate are the times?
Solar times use the NOAA Solar Position Algorithm and are accurate to roughly one minute for any year between 1900 and 2100. Local terrain and unusual refraction aren't modeled.
Does it handle the polar circles?
Yes. Above the Arctic Circle in summer the sun never sets (polar day) and in deep winter never rises (polar night). sunhour detects both and reports them correctly instead of showing nonsense times.
More in the field-notes blog.