Amherst is a city of about 122,366 people in Erie County, New York, at 182 m (597 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:35 AM and sets at 6:26 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:47 PM – 6:44 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 | 7:44 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 5:36 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 7:08 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 7:40 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 02m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Amherst
At Amherst the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) 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 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Amherst
51 photo locations lie within 80 km of Amherst. 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 Amherst is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Ontario, about 101 km (62 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Ontario | Lake | 101 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| Denton Hill State Park | State Park | 156 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Patterson State Park | State Park | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Sizerville State Park | State Park | 162 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Lyman Run State Park | State Park | 163 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Prouty Place State Park | State Park | 164 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Springs State Park | Dark Sky Place | 167 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Springs State Park | State Park | 167 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 3:00 AM – 4:40 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 1:02 AM – 3:42 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:14 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 11:03 PM – 1:53 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:48 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:54 PM | 0.8 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (85%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.