Jackson is a city of about 33,133 people in Jackson County, Michigan, at 284 m (932 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:57 AM and sets at 6:49 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:11 PM – 7:07 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 | 8:05 AM | 8:48 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:51 AM | 8:28 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 6:01 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:47 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:10 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:51 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 8:00 AM | 8:46 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 07m |
Local time in America/Detroit, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Jackson
At Jackson 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 Jackson
23 photo locations lie within 80 km of Jackson. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Jackson is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Coldwater Lake, about 67 km (41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coldwater Lake | Lake | 67 km (41 mi) | 3 |
| Harrison Lake State Park | State Park | 67 km (42 mi) | 3 |
| Huntstown | Ghost Town | 138 km (86 mi) | 3 |
| Fish Point Wildlife Area Dune and Swale Complex (Possible) | Sand Dunes | 165 km (102 mi) | 3 |
| Newaygo State Park | State Park | 170 km (106 mi) | 3 |
| Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park | State Park | 193 km (120 mi) | 3 |
| Pratt Lake | Lake | 198 km (123 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:18 AM – 6:08 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 3:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 1:20 AM – 4:10 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 11:30 PM – 3:40 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 11:20 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 10:28 PM – 12:18 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 9:25 PM – 10:15 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 (81%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.