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39.9784° N86.1180° W260 mBortle 7Indianapolis

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Carmel, IN

Hamilton County, Indiana · pop. 88,713

  • Sunrise 8:01 AM
  • Sunset 6:59 PM
  • Bortle 7

Carmel is a city of about 88,713 people in Hamilton County, Indiana, at 260 m (853 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:01 AM and sets at 6:59 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:22 PM – 7:16 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Carmel

Live
Sunrise
8:01 AM
Sunset
6:59 PM
Golden hour AM
7:44 AM – 8:38 AM
Golden hour PM
6:22 PM – 7:16 PM
Blue hour AM
7:33 AM – 7:44 AM
Blue hour PM
7:16 PM – 7:27 PM
Full darkness
8:29 PM – 6:31 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
4:13 PM / 2:01 AM
Day length
10h 58m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Indiana/Indianapolis. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month

Month (15th)SunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January8:05 AM8:47 AM5:02 PM5:44 PM6:14 PM9h 39m
February7:38 AM8:16 AM5:43 PM6:21 PM6:48 PM10h 42m
March7:57 AM8:33 AM7:16 PM7:52 PM8:19 PM11h 55m
April7:07 AM7:44 AM7:47 PM8:23 PM8:51 PM13h 16m
May6:30 AM7:09 AM8:15 PM8:53 PM9:24 PM14h 23m
June6:16 AM6:57 AM8:35 PM9:16 PM9:48 PM15h 00m
July6:29 AM7:09 AM8:33 PM9:13 PM9:45 PM14h 44m
August6:57 AM7:34 AM8:06 PM8:43 PM9:12 PM13h 46m
September7:26 AM8:02 AM7:19 PM7:55 PM8:22 PM12h 29m
October7:55 AM8:32 AM6:30 PM7:06 PM7:34 PM11h 11m
November7:30 AM8:10 AM4:50 PM5:30 PM5:59 PM9h 59m
December8:00 AM8:43 AM4:38 PM5:21 PM5:52 PM9h 21m

Local time in America/Indiana/Indianapolis, daylight saving time included.

Where the sun rises and sets in Carmel

At Carmel the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 27° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Carmel

33 photo locations lie within 80 km of Carmel. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.

Waterfalls

State Parks

Botanical Gardens

Covered Bridges

Ghost Towns

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Carmel is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Deer's Mill Covered Bridge, about 80 km (50 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.

Darkest skies within 200 km

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Deer's Mill Covered BridgeCovered Bridge80 km (50 mi)3
Hargrave Covered BridgeCovered Bridge82 km (51 mi)3
Shades State ParkState Park83 km (52 mi)3
Hollandsburg Covered BridgeCovered Bridge84 km (52 mi)3
Portland Mills Covered BridgeCovered Bridge84 km (52 mi)3
Cataract FallsWaterfall85 km (53 mi)3
Cataract Falls Covered BridgeCovered Bridge85 km (53 mi)3
Groundhog FallsWaterfall85 km (53 mi)3
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
February5:51 AM – 6:01 AM0.211°
March5:01 AM – 6:21 AM1.318°
April2:59 AM – 5:19 AM2.321°
May1:03 AM – 4:33 AM3.521°
June11:18 PM – 4:08 AM4.821°
July11:10 PM – 2:40 AM3.521°
August10:24 PM – 12:44 AM2.321°
September9:27 PM – 10:37 PM1.218°
October8:36 PM – 8:46 PM0.211°

Cloud cover by month

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Carmel today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:44 AM – 8:38 AM and the evening golden hour is 6:22 PM – 7:16 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Carmel in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 7:06 PM and blue hour ends around 7:34 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Carmel?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 9:17 PM — and earliest in December, around 5:23 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Carmel?
Look for west-facing high ground or open water; the sunset azimuth table shows where the sun goes down each season.
Can you see the Milky Way from Carmel?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 7). Drive to Deer's Mill Covered Bridge (80 km (50 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Carmel?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (49°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.