Athens is a city of about 127,315 people in Clarke County, Georgia, at 228 m (748 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:43 AM and sets at 6:55 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:21 PM – 7:10 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 | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:39 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Athens
At Athens 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 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Athens
28 photo locations lie within 80 km of Athens. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Beaches
Botanical Gardens
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Athens is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hamburg State Park, about 101 km (63 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburg State Park | State Park | 101 km (63 mi) | 2 |
| Scull Shoals | Ghost Town | 27 km (17 mi) | 3 |
| Watson Mill Bridge State Park | State Park | 29 km (18 mi) | 3 |
| Watson Mill Bridge | Covered Bridge | 29 km (18 mi) | 3 |
| Cromer's Mill Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 36 km (23 mi) | 3 |
| Kesler Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 52 km (32 mi) | 3 |
| A. H. Stephens State Park | State Park | 63 km (39 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Hartwell State Park | State Park | 67 km (42 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 12:26 AM – 4:46 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 10:32 PM – 4:32 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 10:28 PM – 3:08 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:54 PM – 1:04 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 9:07 PM – 11:07 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:04 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February 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.