Battle Creek is a city of about 51,589 people in Calhoun County, Michigan, at 255 m (837 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:00 AM and sets at 6:52 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:14 PM – 7:10 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 | 8:08 AM | 8:52 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:05 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 7:38 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:54 AM | 8:31 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:35 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:50 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:14 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:54 AM | 8:32 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 8:04 AM | 8:49 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/Detroit, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Battle Creek
At Battle Creek 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 Battle Creek
17 photo locations lie within 80 km of Battle Creek. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Battle Creek is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Budd Lake, about 192 km (119 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budd Lake | Lake | 192 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Coldwater Lake | Lake | 57 km (35 mi) | 3 |
| Harrison Lake State Park | State Park | 101 km (62 mi) | 3 |
| Newaygo State Park | State Park | 136 km (84 mi) | 3 |
| Huntstown | Ghost Town | 163 km (101 mi) | 3 |
| Little Sable Point Light | Lighthouse | 185 km (115 mi) | 3 |
| Silver Lake Sand Dunes | Sand Dunes | 186 km (115 mi) | 3 |
| Silver Lake State Park | State Park | 186 km (116 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:21 AM – 6:11 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 3:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 1:23 AM – 4:13 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 11:33 PM – 3:43 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 11:23 PM – 2:23 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 10:31 PM – 12:21 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 9:28 PM – 10:18 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.