New Bern is a city of about 30,070 people in Craven County, North Carolina. Today the sun rises at 7:19 AM and sets at 6:28 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:54 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 | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:06 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in New Bern
At New Bern 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 New Bern
26 photo locations lie within 80 km of New Bern. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLighthouses
Beaches
BeachBeachBeachBeachBeachBeachNational Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central New Bern is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Beach Access Ramp 48, about 134 km (83 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach Access Ramp 48 | Beach | 134 km (83 mi) | 1 |
| Beach Access Ramp 44 | Beach | 138 km (86 mi) | 1 |
| Cape Hatteras Light Station | Lighthouse | 139 km (86 mi) | 1 |
| Beach Access Ramp 43 | Beach | 139 km (86 mi) | 1 |
| Cape Hatteras Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 139 km (86 mi) | 1 |
| Diamond Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 159 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Island View Shores | Beach | 47 km (29 mi) | 2 |
| Norflick Shore | Beach | 58 km (36 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:46 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.7 | 15° |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:04 AM – 4:24 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 10:11 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:36 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:41 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:32 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:39 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.