Pelham is a city of about 22,885 people in Shelby County, Alabama, at 153 m (502 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:56 AM and sets at 6:09 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:35 PM – 6:25 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 | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:58 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:18 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:38 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 5:49 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 58m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Pelham
At Pelham the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Pelham
47 photo locations lie within 80 km of Pelham. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Covered Bridges
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Pelham is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Prairie Bluff, about 140 km (87 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Bluff | Ghost Town | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Bridgeport Beach | Beach | 144 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Binnsville | Ghost Town | 152 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Rumley Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 164 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Porterville Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Noxubee Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 173 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Lookout Hill Fire Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 174 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Failetown | Ghost Town | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:26 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.7 | 17° |
| March | 3:28 AM – 5:28 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:25 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:36 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.5 | 28° |
| June | 9:41 PM – 3:51 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:37 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:04 PM – 12:24 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:19 PM – 10:19 PM | 2.0 | 25° |
| October | 7:37 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.8 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.