Laurel is a city of about 18,837 people in Jones County, Mississippi, at 82 m (269 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:04 AM and sets at 6:20 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:47 PM – 6:35 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 | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:09 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 6:01 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 46m |
| June | 5:52 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 12m |
| July | 6:02 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 01m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 33m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 06m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Laurel
At Laurel the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
Best photo spots near Laurel
9 photo locations lie within 80 km of Laurel. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
Fire Lookouts
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Laurel is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Quitman Lookout Tower, about 57 km (36 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quitman Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 57 km (36 mi) | 2 |
| Success | Ghost Town | 58 km (36 mi) | 2 |
| Aquilla Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 69 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Bladon Springs State Park | State Park | 89 km (55 mi) | 2 |
| Butler Mountain Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 89 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 90 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Failetown | Ghost Town | 108 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Rumley Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 118 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:26 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 3:37 AM – 5:37 AM | 2.0 | 26° |
| April | 1:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| May | 11:31 PM – 4:21 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 9:44 PM – 4:04 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 9:41 PM – 2:41 AM | 5.0 | 29° |
| August | 9:10 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:37 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:37 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.