Cornelius is a city of about 28,092 people in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, at 245 m (804 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:35 AM and sets at 6:43 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:08 PM – 6:59 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 | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:35 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 46m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Cornelius
At Cornelius the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Cornelius
20 photo locations lie within 80 km of Cornelius. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Covered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Cornelius is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Blood Creek Overlook, about 78 km (48 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Creek Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 78 km (48 mi) | 3 |
| Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 86 km (54 mi) | 3 |
| Silvervale Falls | Waterfall | 91 km (57 mi) | 3 |
| Adams Mountain | Mountain Peak | 92 km (57 mi) | 3 |
| Brown Mountain | Mountain Peak | 93 km (58 mi) | 3 |
| Lake James State Park | State Park | 97 km (60 mi) | 3 |
| The Lump Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 99 km (62 mi) | 3 |
| Cascade Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 100 km (62 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:16 AM – 6:06 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:16 AM – 5:16 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:21 AM – 4:31 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:29 PM – 4:19 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:54 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:47 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:48 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:14 PM – 8:44 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (58%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.