Ruston is a city of about 22,340 people in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, at 102 m (335 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:19 AM and sets at 6:33 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:00 PM – 6:49 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 | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 02m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Ruston
At Ruston 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Ruston
12 photo locations lie within 80 km of Ruston. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenMountain Peaks
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Ruston is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Driskill Mountain, about 27 km (17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driskill Mountain | Mountain Peak | 27 km (17 mi) | 2 |
| Jimmie Davis State Park | State Park | 28 km (18 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Claiborne State Park | State Park | 35 km (21 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 64 km (40 mi) | 2 |
| Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 78 km (49 mi) | 2 |
| Chemin-A-Haut State Park | State Park | 86 km (53 mi) | 2 |
| Red River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 97 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Kisatchie National Forest | National Forest | 100 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:51 AM – 5:51 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 1:47 AM – 5:07 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:47 PM – 4:37 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 10:02 PM – 4:22 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 9:58 PM – 2:48 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:46 AM | 3.3 | 29° |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:52 PM | 2.2 | 25° |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:51 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.