Needham is a city of about 28,886 people in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, at 53 m (174 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:04 AM and sets at 5:57 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:18 PM – 6:14 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 | 7:56 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Needham
At Needham 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 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Needham
237 photo locations lie within 80 km of Needham. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
Waterfall
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeaches
BeachBeachBeachBeach
Beach
BeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Needham is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Great Point Light, about 140 km (87 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Point Light | Lighthouse | 140 km (87 mi) | 3 |
| Townshend State Park | State Park | 146 km (91 mi) | 3 |
| Scott Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 147 km (91 mi) | 3 |
| Sankaty Head Light | Lighthouse | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Overlook Trail | Scenic Viewpoint | 155 km (97 mi) | 3 |
| Jamaica State Park | State Park | 156 km (97 mi) | 3 |
| Hamilton Falls | Waterfall | 157 km (98 mi) | 3 |
| Mount Snow | Mountain Peak | 157 km (98 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 10:37 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:27 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:22 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 May as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.