Sparta is a city of about 19,722 people in Sussex County, New Jersey, at 228 m (748 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:16 AM and sets at 6:12 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:34 PM – 6:29 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 | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 15m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sparta
At Sparta 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 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Sparta
220 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sparta. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sparta is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Wenonan Falls, about 167 km (104 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wenonan Falls | Waterfall | 167 km (104 mi) | 3 |
| Worlds End State Park | State Park | 169 km (105 mi) | 3 |
| Cold Run Road Falls | Waterfall | 169 km (105 mi) | 3 |
| Forksville Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 172 km (107 mi) | 3 |
| Saint Marys Falls | Waterfall | 173 km (108 mi) | 3 |
| Angel Falls | Waterfall | 175 km (109 mi) | 3 |
| Dry Run Falls | Waterfall | 176 km (109 mi) | 3 |
| Hillsgrove Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 176 km (110 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.0 | 10° |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:24 AM – 3:44 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:11 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 10:32 PM – 1:52 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 9:43 PM – 11:53 PM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 7:51 PM – 7:51 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.