Columbus is a city of about 22,797 people in Platte County, Nebraska, at 441 m (1,447 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:48 AM and sets at 6:42 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:04 PM – 7:00 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 | 7:54 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 7:50 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 12m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Columbus
At Columbus the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Columbus is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Wheeler, about 121 km (75 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeler | Ghost Town | 121 km (75 mi) | 1 |
| Mars | Ghost Town | 128 km (80 mi) | 1 |
| Vinton | Ghost Town | 135 km (84 mi) | 1 |
| Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park | State Park | 142 km (88 mi) | 1 |
| Niobrara State Park | State Park | 156 km (97 mi) | 1 |
| Rock Falls | Waterfall | 178 km (111 mi) | 1 |
| Gilman Park Arboretum | Botanical Garden | 87 km (54 mi) | 2 |
| John G. Neihardt State Historic Site | State Park | 92 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.0 | 16° |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:57 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.2 | 20° |
| June | 11:15 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 11:05 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.2 | 20° |
| August | 10:15 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.0 | 16° |
| October | 8:21 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.0 | 10° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.