Clay is a city of about 58,206 people in Onondaga County, New York, at 120 m (394 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:25 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:36 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 | 7:34 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:41 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:30 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 00m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Clay
At Clay 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 Clay
59 photo locations lie within 80 km of Clay. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkState ParkState Park
State ParkLakes
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
LakeLighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseCovered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Clay is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Southwick Beach State Park, about 65 km (40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwick Beach State Park | State Park | 65 km (40 mi) | 2 |
| Stony Point Light | Lighthouse | 73 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Galloo Island Light | Lighthouse | 81 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Brantingham Lake | Lake | 92 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| East Charity Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 98 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Tibbetts Point Light | Lighthouse | 103 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Cape Vincent Light | Lighthouse | 105 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Number Four Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 108 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 2:51 AM – 4:31 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:54 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:07 PM – 2:57 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 10:55 PM – 1:45 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:59 PM – 11:39 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:34 PM | 0.7 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 69% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (86%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.