Moscow is a city of about 25,060 people in Latah County, Idaho, at 786 m (2,579 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:13 AM and sets at 5:53 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:11 PM – 6:12 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 | 7:29 AM | 8:18 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:52 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:41 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 29m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:38 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 8:18 AM | 3:10 PM | 4:01 PM | 4:36 PM | 8h 34m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Moscow
At Moscow the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
Best photo spots near Moscow
21 photo locations lie within 80 km of Moscow. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
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State ParkLakes
Covered Bridges
Natural Arches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Moscow is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is St. Joe National Forest, about 112 km (70 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joe National Forest | National Forest | 112 km (70 mi) | 1 |
| Mallard Peak Lookout | Fire Lookout | 115 km (71 mi) | 1 |
| Lookout Pass | Mountain Pass | 127 km (79 mi) | 1 |
| Shoestring Falls | Waterfall | 133 km (83 mi) | 1 |
| Fivemile Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | 134 km (83 mi) | 1 |
| Hells Canyon Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 137 km (85 mi) | 1 |
| Horse Creek Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | 141 km (88 mi) | 1 |
| Stanley Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 141 km (88 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:05 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.2 | 11° |
| April | 3:08 AM – 3:58 AM | 0.8 | 13° |
| May | 1:14 AM – 2:44 AM | 1.5 | 14° |
| June | 11:36 PM – 1:56 AM | 2.3 | 14° |
| July | 11:13 PM – 12:53 AM | 1.7 | 14° |
| August | 10:01 PM – 10:51 PM | 0.8 | 13° |
| September | 8:46 PM – 8:46 PM | 0.0 | 10° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.