Mobile is a city of about 183,289 people in Mobile County, Alabama. Today the sun rises at 6:59 AM and sets at 6:17 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:44 PM – 6:32 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 23m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:05 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 42m |
| June | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 07m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 57m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:28 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 37m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 10m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Mobile
At Mobile the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
Best photo spots near Mobile
37 photo locations lie within 80 km of Mobile. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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Botanical Gardens
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Mobile is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Claiborne, about 107 km (66 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claiborne | Ghost Town | 107 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Bladon Springs State Park | State Park | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Aquilla Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 122 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Breton National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 122 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 125 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Failetown | Ghost Town | 137 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Lookout Hill Fire Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 139 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Open Pond Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 149 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 3:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 2.3 | 27° |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:54 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| May | 11:22 PM – 4:22 AM | 5.0 | 30° |
| June | 9:35 PM – 4:05 AM | 6.5 | 30° |
| July | 9:32 PM – 2:42 AM | 5.2 | 30° |
| August | 9:03 PM – 12:43 AM | 3.7 | 30° |
| September | 8:20 PM – 10:40 PM | 2.3 | 27° |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:42 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.