Norman is a city of about 128,026 people in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, at 357 m (1,171 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:41 AM and sets at 6:50 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:15 PM – 7:05 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 | 7:38 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:41 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:32 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Norman
At Norman 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 Norman
3 photo locations lie within 80 km of Norman. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Botanical Gardens
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Norman is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Great Plains State Park, about 149 km (93 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Plains State Park | State Park | 149 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Gloss Mountain State Park | State Park | 164 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Lime Arch Bridge | Natural Arch | 167 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Washita National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 170 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Lugert | Ghost Town | 171 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 184 km (114 mi) | 2 |
| Whizbang | Ghost Town | 184 km (114 mi) | 2 |
| Robbers Cave State Park | State Park | 192 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:22 AM – 6:12 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:27 AM – 4:37 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:34 PM – 4:24 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:53 PM – 12:53 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 9:04 PM – 10:54 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:01 PM | 0.7 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% 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.