Portsmouth is a city of about 21,530 people in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. Today the sun rises at 7:03 AM and sets at 5:54 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:15 PM – 6:12 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 | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:42 PM | 9h 01m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Portsmouth
At Portsmouth the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
Best photo spots near Portsmouth
126 photo locations lie within 80 km of Portsmouth. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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BeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Portsmouth is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Monhegan Island Light, about 139 km (87 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monhegan Island Light | Lighthouse | 139 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Mahoosuc Notch | Mountain Pass | 164 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Screw Auger Falls | Waterfall | 167 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Old Speck Mountain | Mountain Peak | 167 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Mother Walker Falls | Waterfall | 167 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Success Pond | Lake | 168 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Lovejoy Bridge | Covered Bridge | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Grafton Notch State Park | State Park | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:10 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 10:42 PM – 2:42 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:21 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:36 PM – 11:16 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.8 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and May 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.