McDonough is a city of about 23,417 people in Henry County, Georgia, at 264 m (866 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:46 AM and sets at 6:58 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 | 7:41 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:48 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:42 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 57m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in McDonough
At McDonough 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 McDonough
28 photo locations lie within 80 km of McDonough. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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Covered Bridges
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Mountain PeakNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central McDonough is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hamburg State Park, about 130 km (81 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 | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 51 km (32 mi) | 3 |
| Covered Bridge Road | Covered Bridge | 59 km (37 mi) | 3 |
| Red Oak Creek Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 59 km (37 mi) | 3 |
| Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 77 km (48 mi) | 3 |
| Cascade Falls | Waterfall | 82 km (51 mi) | 3 |
| Scull Shoals | Ghost Town | 85 km (53 mi) | 3 |
| Callaway Gardens | Botanical Garden | 94 km (58 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.7 | 17° |
| March | 4:18 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 2:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.2 | 28° |
| May | 12:27 AM – 4:57 AM | 4.5 | 28° |
| June | 10:32 PM – 4:42 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 10:29 PM – 3:19 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:55 PM – 1:15 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 9:09 PM – 11:09 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 8:27 PM – 9:17 PM | 0.8 | 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.