Augusta is a city of about 18,899 people in Kennebec County, Maine. Today the sun rises at 7:01 AM and sets at 5:48 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:08 PM – 6:06 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 | 7:58 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:40 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:14 PM | 4:01 PM | 4:35 PM | 8h 53m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Augusta
At Augusta the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
Best photo spots near Augusta
77 photo locations lie within 80 km of Augusta. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State ParkLakes
LakeLighthouses
Beaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Augusta is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Flagstaff, about 101 km (63 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 4.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff | Ghost Town | 101 km (63 mi) | 1 |
| Mount Bigelow | Mountain Peak | 101 km (63 mi) | 1 |
| Long Falls | Waterfall | 107 km (67 mi) | 1 |
| Hatch Falls | Waterfall | 108 km (67 mi) | 1 |
| East Kennebago Mountain | Mountain Peak | 111 km (69 mi) | 1 |
| Grand Falls | Waterfall | 115 km (72 mi) | 1 |
| Poplar Hill Falls | Waterfall | 116 km (72 mi) | 1 |
| Moxie Falls | Waterfall | 118 km (73 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 13° |
| April | 2:29 AM – 3:59 AM | 1.5 | 16° |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:05 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| June | 10:52 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.5 | 17° |
| July | 10:37 PM – 1:07 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:08 PM | 1.5 | 16° |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:01 PM | 0.5 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (67%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.