Amherst is a city of about 39,833 people in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, at 82 m (269 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:09 AM and sets at 6:02 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:23 PM – 6:19 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 | 7:17 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Amherst
At Amherst the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Amherst
180 photo locations lie within 80 km of Amherst. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Covered BridgeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Amherst is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Schroon Lake, about 187 km (116 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schroon Lake | Lake | 187 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Adirondack Natural Stone Bridge | Natural Arch | 188 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Austin Falls | Waterfall | 191 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Christine Falls | Waterfall | 194 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Pleasant | Lake | 196 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Oxbow Lake | Lake | 200 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Snow | Mountain Peak | 74 km (46 mi) | 3 |
| Townshend State Park | State Park | 76 km (47 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:23 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:22 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 10:42 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:32 PM – 1:32 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:30 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.