Meridian is a city of about 39,661 people in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, at 105 m (344 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:03 AM and sets at 6:18 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:44 PM – 6:33 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 | 4:36 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:06 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 16m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 02m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Meridian
At Meridian the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Meridian
16 photo locations lie within 80 km of Meridian. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
Covered Bridges
Fire Lookouts
National Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Meridian is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Porterville Lookout Tower, about 40 km (25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porterville Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 40 km (25 mi) | 2 |
| Rumley Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 43 km (27 mi) | 2 |
| Quitman Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 44 km (27 mi) | 2 |
| Butler Mountain Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 55 km (34 mi) | 2 |
| Success | Ghost Town | 57 km (36 mi) | 2 |
| Nanih Waiya | State Park | 66 km (41 mi) | 2 |
| Binnsville | Ghost Town | 68 km (42 mi) | 2 |
| Aquilla Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 75 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 3:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 1:30 AM – 4:50 AM | 3.3 | 29° |
| May | 11:30 PM – 4:20 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 9:45 PM – 4:05 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 | 8:25 PM – 10:35 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 7:45 PM – 8:35 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.