Rocky Mount is a city of about 55,806 people in Nash County, North Carolina. Today the sun rises at 7:23 AM and sets at 6:30 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:55 PM – 6:46 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 | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 44m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Rocky Mount
At Rocky Mount 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Rocky Mount
9 photo locations lie within 80 km of Rocky Mount. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkBeaches
Fire Lookouts
National Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Rocky Mount is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Island View Shores, about 114 km (71 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Island View Shores | Beach | 114 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Pungo Lake | Lake | 115 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Norflick Shore | Beach | 115 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 117 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Bible Shore | Beach | 122 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Pettigrew State Park | State Park | 124 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Bee Tree Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 127 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 147 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:11 AM – 4:21 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:20 PM – 4:00 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:34 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:37 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:37 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
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.