Decatur is a city of about 21,957 people in DeKalb County, Georgia, at 318 m (1,043 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:47 AM and sets at 6:59 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:25 PM – 7:14 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 | 7:43 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:49 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:43 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 55m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Decatur
At Decatur 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 Decatur
39 photo locations lie within 80 km of Decatur. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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Beaches
Botanical Gardens
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Decatur is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hamburg State Park, about 154 km (96 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 | 154 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Covered Bridge Road | Covered Bridge | 85 km (53 mi) | 3 |
| Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 85 km (53 mi) | 3 |
| Amicalola Falls | Waterfall | 88 km (55 mi) | 3 |
| Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 88 km (55 mi) | 3 |
| Cochrans Falls | Waterfall | 90 km (56 mi) | 3 |
| Scull Shoals | Ghost Town | 93 km (58 mi) | 3 |
| Nimblewill Gap | Mountain Pass | 93 km (58 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:28 AM – 6:18 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 2:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 4.5 | 27° |
| June | 10:34 PM – 4:34 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:56 PM – 1:16 AM | 3.3 | 27° |
| September | 9:09 PM – 11:09 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 8:27 PM – 9:07 PM | 0.7 | 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 (59%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.