Carbondale is a city of about 26,399 people in Jackson County, Illinois, at 126 m (413 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:11 AM and sets at 6:14 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:38 PM – 6:30 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 | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 34m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Carbondale
At Carbondale the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Carbondale
45 photo locations lie within 80 km of Carbondale. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Covered Bridges
Natural Arches
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Carbondale is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Cache River State Natural Area, about 47 km (29 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 8.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cache River State Natural Area | State Park | 47 km (29 mi) | 2 |
| Shawnee National Forest | National Forest | 55 km (34 mi) | 2 |
| Bell Smith Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 55 km (34 mi) | 2 |
| Dixon Springs State Park | State Park | 62 km (38 mi) | 2 |
| Lusk Creek Canyon | Canyon | 64 km (40 mi) | 2 |
| Lusk Creek Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 65 km (40 mi) | 2 |
| Raum Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 70 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Norfolk | Ghost Town | 89 km (55 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:06 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:05 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:09 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 7:48 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (65%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.