Quick answer
Golden hour is when the Sun is low — roughly between 6° above and 4° below the horizon — giving warm, soft, directional light. Blue hour follows it in the evening (and precedes it in the morning), when the Sun is between 4° and 6° below the horizon and the sky turns a deep, even blue. Neither lasts exactly an hour: their length depends on your latitude and the season.
What is golden hour?
Golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset when the Sun sits low in the sky. Its light passes through much more of the atmosphere than at midday, which scatters away blue wavelengths and leaves warmer yellow, orange and red tones. Shadows are long, contrast is gentle and faces and landscapes take on a soft glow — which is why photographers love it.
There is no single official definition. A common one — and the one Dayclipse uses — defines golden hour by the Sun's altitude: from 6° above the horizon down to 4° below it. That includes the moments around sunrise or sunset itself.
What is blue hour?
Blue hour happens when the Sun is just below the horizon, during civil twilight. Direct sunlight no longer reaches you, and the sky is lit by scattered light. Because of the way the upper atmosphere absorbs and scatters light at these angles, the sky takes on a rich, saturated blue. City lights and the remaining sky glow are often nicely balanced, making it a favorite time for cityscapes.
Dayclipse defines blue hour as the Sun between 4° and 6° below the horizon. Some photographers use slightly different limits, so other sources may show a few minutes' difference.
Golden hour vs blue hour at a glance
| Property | Golden hour | Blue hour |
|---|---|---|
| Sun altitude | +6° to −4° | −4° to −6° |
| Light | Warm, directional, long shadows | Cool, even, shadowless |
| Morning order | Second (around sunrise) | First (before sunrise) |
| Evening order | First (around sunset) | Second (after sunset) |
How long do they last?
Because both are defined by a range of Sun angles, their length depends on how steeply the Sun's path crosses the horizon. Near the equator the Sun rises and sets almost vertically, so it moves through the 10° golden-hour band quickly. Farther from the equator the Sun meets the horizon at a shallower angle and lingers longer.
For example, for New York on October 18, 2026, Dayclipse calculates the evening golden hour from 5:33 PM to 6:27 PM (54 minutes) and blue hour from 6:27 PM to 6:38 PM (11 minutes). At high latitudes around midsummer, golden hour can stretch for hours — and very close to the poles the Sun may not drop low enough for a blue hour at all.
What changes what you actually see
- Your horizon. Calculated times assume a flat, open horizon. Hills, mountains and buildings block low sunlight, so golden light can end earlier where you stand.
- Weather. Clouds, haze and smoke can intensify colors or remove them entirely. Angle-based times can't predict this.
- Direction. Knowing the Sun's azimuth (its compass direction) helps you decide where to stand and what to point at.
Want the full picture of the darker phases that follow? Read civil, nautical and astronomical twilight explained.
Safety: never look directly at the Sun, even when it is low, and never point a camera's optical viewfinder at it.