Hercules is a city of about 25,314 people in Contra Costa County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:23 AM and sets at 6:26 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:50 PM – 6:42 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 | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 33m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Hercules
At Hercules the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Hercules
182 photo locations lie within 80 km of Hercules. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Hercules is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hitch'n Post, about 161 km (100 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hitch'n Post | Natural Arch | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Point Arena Arch | Natural Arch | 162 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Manchester State Park | State Park | 163 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Point Arena Light | Lighthouse | 164 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Greenwood State Beach | State Park | 175 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Devils Pitchfork | Natural Arch | 176 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Wharf Rock East Arch | Natural Arch | 176 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Wharf Rock West Arch | Natural Arch | 176 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.5 | 19° |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:18 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.