Sun City Center is a city of about 19,258 people in Hillsborough County, Florida. Today the sun rises at 7:33 AM and sets at 6:57 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:25 PM – 7:11 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 | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 35m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 14m |
| March | 7:40 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 49m |
| May | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 31m |
| June | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 53m |
| July | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 44m |
| August | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 08m |
| September | 7:15 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 47m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 24m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sun City Center
At Sun City Center the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 39° in winter.
Best photo spots near Sun City Center
57 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sun City Center. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
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LighthouseLighthouseBeaches
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BeachBeachBeachBeachBeachBotanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sun City Center is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, about 192 km (119 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 192 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 108 km (67 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Istokpoga | Lake | 112 km (70 mi) | 3 |
| Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park | Dark Sky Place | 125 km (78 mi) | 3 |
| Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park | State Park | 125 km (78 mi) | 3 |
| Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area | National Wildlife Refuge | 137 km (85 mi) | 3 |
| Big Bear Beach | Beach | 152 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Seahorse Key Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 168 km (105 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.0 | 20° |
| March | 3:46 AM – 6:16 AM | 2.5 | 30° |
| April | 1:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.8 | 33° |
| May | 11:49 PM – 5:09 AM | 5.3 | 33° |
| June | 10:00 PM – 5:00 AM | 7.0 | 33° |
| July | 9:58 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.5 | 33° |
| August | 9:32 PM – 1:32 AM | 4.0 | 33° |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 2.5 | 30° |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:29 PM | 1.2 | 21° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (67%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.