Golden Hour City

Solar almanac · 2026-11-02 · Australia

Golden hour in Sydney, Australia

33.8688° S
151.2093° E
Australia/Sydney

Times shown in local time for Sydney (Australia/Sydney).

Golden hour & blue hour

WindowStartsEnds
Blue hour (morning)04:5505:27
Golden hour (morning)05:5406:28
Golden hour (evening)18:4919:23
Blue hour (evening)19:5020:22

Light profile · calculated

Golden hour in Sydney through the year

Midsummer
37 min
Equinox
33 min
Midwinter
38 min

Length of the evening golden-hour window.

Sydney lies at 33.87° S, in the subtropics, with short, decisive twilights. Its longest measured day falls on Sat 19 December 2026 with 14h 25m of daylight, and its shortest on Thu 18 June 2026 with 9h 54m — a difference of 4h 31m between the two extremes.

Evening golden hour in Sydney runs for roughly 37 minutes at the height of summer, 33 minutes around the March equinox and 38 minutes at midwinter. The warm window is actually widest in the colder months, which makes winter evenings unusually forgiving here.

The sun sets toward 298° WNW in late June and toward 241° WSW in late December, a shift of about 57° in where the last light lands — worth checking before committing to a west-facing viewpoint. In Sydney, the sky reaches full darkness between evening and morning twilight year-round.

Field notes for photographers

Where to shoot golden hour in Sydney

Sydney’s harbor gives photographers open water, sandstone headlands and two globally recognizable structures. Southern-hemisphere seasons shift the sun across many possible alignments with the Opera House and bridge.

  1. 01

    Mrs Macquarie’s Point

    Best for sunrise

    Use the curved shoreline to hold the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in one balanced frame.

    Sun rises
    108° ESE
    Sun sets
    252° WSW
  2. 02

    Milsons Point

    Best for sunrise

    Work beneath the bridge approach to contrast its steel structure with the Opera House.

    Sun rises
    108° ESE
    Sun sets
    252° WSW
  3. 03

    Blues Point Reserve

    Best for sunrise

    Use the rocky foreshore as a low foreground beneath the bridge and city towers.

    Sun rises
    108° ESE
    Sun sets
    252° WSW

Seasonal light. Summer brings long evenings over the harbor; winter has shorter days, a lower solar path and often clearer, cooler light.

Today’s solar record

+2 min/day

Sunrise
05:54

rises at 108° ESE

Sunset
19:23

sets at 252° WSW

Solar noon
12:38
Day length
13h 30m

Evening golden hour starts at 18:49

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Solar trajectory

Maximum 71°
05:5471° at 12:3819:23
East · sunriseHighest point of the sun today: 71° above the horizon. The shaded band near the horizon is golden-hour light.West · sunset

Twenty-four hours of light

05:54Sunrise12:38Solar noon19:23Sunset
NightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Next 7 days

DateSunriseSunsetDay length
2026-11-0205:5419:2313h 30m
2026-11-0305:5319:2413h 31m
2026-11-0405:5219:2513h 33m
2026-11-0505:5119:2613h 35m
2026-11-0605:5019:2713h 37m
2026-11-0705:4919:2813h 39m
2026-11-0805:4819:2913h 41m

Annual light rhythm · Sydney

9h 55m—14h 24m
JFMAMJJASOND
Longest days in December (14h 24m), shortest in June (9h 55m).

Questions

When is golden hour in Sydney today?
Evening golden hour in Sydney starts at 18:49 and ends at sunset, 19:23. Morning golden hour runs from sunrise, 05:54, until 06:28 local time (Australia/Sydney).
How long does golden hour last in Sydney?
Evening golden hour in Sydney runs from 18:49 to 19:23, and morning golden hour from 05:54 to 06:28.
When is blue hour in Sydney?
Morning blue hour in Sydney begins at 04:55, before sunrise. Evening blue hour begins at 19:50, just after sunset.
What time is sunrise in Sydney today?
Sunrise in Sydney is at 05:54 local time (Australia/Sydney), rising toward 108° ESE.
What time is sunset in Sydney today?
Sunset in Sydney is at 19:23 local time (Australia/Sydney), setting toward 252° WSW.
How long is the day in Sydney?
Sydney has 13h 30m of daylight today.

Other views for Sydney

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