How Long Does Golden Hour Last?

Why Golden Hour Length Varies

Golden hour is defined by the sun's angle relative to the horizon: roughly the period when the sun is between 6 degrees above and the horizon. How long that takes depends on the angle at which the sun descends, which is steepest at the equator and shallowest near the poles. The same sun, very different windows.

The Window After the Window

Golden hour ends at sunset, but the light doesn't stop being interesting. Blue hour follows immediately: the 20–40 minutes after sunset (or before sunrise) when the sky transitions through deep indigo and the ambient light is still directional enough to expose scenes without heavy noise. GoldCast scores both windows and shows start and end times for each.