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41.7759° N72.5215° W83 mBortle 7New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Manchester, CT

Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut · pop. 30,577

  • Sunrise 7:08 AM
  • Sunset 6:03 PM
  • Bortle 7

Manchester is a city of about 30,577 people in Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, at 83 m (272 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:08 AM and sets at 6:03 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:24 PM – 6:20 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Manchester

Live
Sunrise
7:08 AM
Sunset
6:03 PM
Golden hour AM
6:51 AM – 7:47 AM
Golden hour PM
5:24 PM – 6:20 PM
Blue hour AM
6:40 AM – 6:51 AM
Blue hour PM
6:20 PM – 6:31 PM
Full darkness
7:35 PM – 5:37 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:21 PM / 1:00 AM
Day length
10h 54m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/New York. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month

Month (15th)SunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:16 AM7:59 AM4:01 PM4:44 PM5:15 PM9h 29m
February6:47 AM7:26 AM4:45 PM5:24 PM5:52 PM10h 37m
March7:03 AM7:40 AM6:20 PM6:57 PM7:25 PM11h 54m
April6:11 AM6:48 AM6:53 PM7:31 PM8:00 PM13h 20m
May5:31 AM6:11 AM7:24 PM8:03 PM8:35 PM14h 32m
June5:16 AM5:58 AM7:45 PM8:27 PM9:01 PM15h 12m
July5:29 AM6:10 AM7:43 PM8:24 PM8:57 PM14h 55m
August5:59 AM6:37 AM7:14 PM7:52 PM8:22 PM13h 53m
September6:31 AM7:08 AM6:25 PM7:02 PM7:29 PM12h 31m
October7:03 AM7:41 AM5:32 PM6:10 PM6:38 PM11h 08m
November6:40 AM7:22 AM3:49 PM4:31 PM5:01 PM9h 51m
December7:11 AM7:56 AM3:36 PM4:21 PM4:53 PM9h 10m

Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.

Where the sun rises and sets in Manchester

At Manchester the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Manchester

233 photo locations lie within 80 km of Manchester. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.

Scenic Viewpoints

Scenic Viewpoint
Overlook Historic District50 km away · Naugatuck Valley Planning Region · 171 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Lookout Point72 km away · Northwest Hills Planning Region · 182 m

Waterfalls

Mill Pond FallsWaterfall
Mill Pond Falls20 km away · Capitol Planning Region
Codfish FallsWaterfall
Codfish Falls25 km away · Capitol Planning Region
Wadsworth Falls State ParkWaterfall
Wadsworth Falls State Park30 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
Waterfall
Westfield Falls27 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region · 42 m
Chapman FallsWaterfall
Chapman Falls36 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region · 60 m
Waterfall
Wadsworth Falls31 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region · 43 m

State Parks

Bolton Notch State ParkState Park
Bolton Notch State Park6.3 km away · Capitol Planning Region
Windsor Meadows State ParkState Park
Windsor Meadows State Park11 km away · Capitol Planning Region
Scantic River State ParkState Park
Scantic River State Park12 km away · Capitol Planning Region
Dinosaur State Park and ArboretumState Park
Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum18 km away · Capitol Planning Region
River Highlands State ParkState Park
River Highlands State Park20 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
Mono Pond State Park ReserveState Park
Mono Pond State Park Reserve20 km away · Capitol Planning Region

Lakes

Wangumbaug LakeLake
Wangumbaug Lake16 km away · Capitol Planning Region · 157 m
Pameacha PondLake
Pameacha Pond28 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region · 23 m
Mansfield Hollow LakeLake
Mansfield Hollow Lake28 km away · Capitol Planning Region · 64 m
Gardner LakeLake
Gardner Lake38 km away · Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region · 116 m
Lake ChaubunagungamaugLake
Lake Chaubunagungamaug63 km away · Worcester County · 146 m
Walker PondLake
Walker Pond56 km away · Worcester County · 177 m

Lighthouses

Lighthouse
Chester Rock Light44 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
Lighthouse
Essex Reef Light49 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
Saybrook Breakwater LightLighthouse
Saybrook Breakwater Light59 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
New London Harbor LightLighthouse
New London Harbor Light62 km away · Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
Lynde Point LightLighthouse
Lynde Point Light58 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
Falkner Island LightLighthouse
Falkner Island Light64 km away

Beaches

McCook Point ParkBeach
McCook Point Park58 km away · Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
Beach
Ocean Beach63 km away · Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
Walnut BeachBeach
Walnut Beach79 km away · South Central Connecticut Planning Region

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Manchester is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mount Snow, about 136 km (84 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.

Darkest skies within 200 km

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Mount SnowMountain Peak136 km (84 mi)3
Townshend State ParkState Park141 km (88 mi)3
Scott Covered BridgeCovered Bridge142 km (88 mi)3
Jamaica State ParkState Park149 km (93 mi)3
Overlook TrailScenic Viewpoint149 km (93 mi)3
Stratton Mountain Lookout TowerFire Lookout149 km (93 mi)3
Stratton MountainMountain Peak149 km (93 mi)3
Hamilton FallsWaterfall153 km (95 mi)3
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
March4:20 AM – 5:20 AM1.016°
April2:21 AM – 4:21 AM2.019°
May12:29 AM – 3:29 AM3.019°
June10:38 PM – 2:58 AM4.319°
July10:28 PM – 1:38 AM3.219°
August9:38 PM – 11:38 PM2.019°
September8:36 PM – 9:36 PM1.016°

Cloud cover by month

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Manchester today?
Today the morning golden hour is 6:51 AM – 7:47 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:24 PM – 6:20 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Manchester in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:10 PM and blue hour ends around 6:38 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Manchester?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:29 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:23 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Manchester?
Good options nearby include Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Wangumbaug Lake, Talcott Mountain. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Manchester?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 7). Drive to Mount Snow (136 km (84 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Manchester?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (51°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.