Schenectady is a city of about 65,305 people in Schenectady County, New York, at 74 m (243 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:16 AM and sets at 6:07 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:28 PM – 6:25 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 | 7:24 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:31 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 03m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Schenectady
At Schenectady 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Schenectady
121 photo locations lie within 80 km of Schenectady. 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 Schenectady is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Austin Falls, about 81 km (50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Falls | Waterfall | 81 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Pleasant | Lake | 82 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Oxbow Lake | Lake | 83 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Christine Falls | Waterfall | 83 km (52 mi) | 2 |
| T Lake Falls | Waterfall | 90 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Adirondack Natural Stone Bridge | Natural Arch | 104 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Snowy Mountain | Mountain Peak | 105 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Schroon Lake | Lake | 108 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:40 AM – 4:30 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| June | 10:53 PM – 2:53 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:38 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:34 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.