Gastonia is a city of about 74,543 people in Gaston County, North Carolina, at 245 m (804 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:36 AM and sets at 6:45 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:10 PM – 7:00 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 | 8:12 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:31 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Gastonia
At Gastonia 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 Gastonia
18 photo locations lie within 80 km of Gastonia. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Gastonia is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Great Falls, about 81 km (50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls | Waterfall | 81 km (50 mi) | 3 |
| Lake James State Park | State Park | 82 km (51 mi) | 3 |
| Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site | State Park | 85 km (53 mi) | 3 |
| Brown Mountain | Mountain Peak | 89 km (55 mi) | 3 |
| Adams Mountain | Mountain Peak | 89 km (55 mi) | 3 |
| Hendricks Falls | Waterfall | 92 km (57 mi) | 3 |
| Cedar Falls | Waterfall | 92 km (57 mi) | 3 |
| Shunkawauken Falls | Waterfall | 93 km (58 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:17 AM – 6:07 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:32 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:29 PM – 4:19 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:55 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:48 PM – 12:48 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:49 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 8:16 PM – 8:56 PM | 0.7 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.