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41.3359° N75.9963° W389 mBortle 6New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Back Mountain, PA

Luzerne County, Pennsylvania · pop. 26,973

  • Sunrise 7:22 AM
  • Sunset 6:17 PM
  • Bortle 6

Back Mountain is a city of about 26,973 people in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, at 389 m (1,276 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:22 AM and sets at 6:17 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:34 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Back Mountain

Live
Sunrise
7:22 AM
Sunset
6:17 PM
Golden hour AM
7:05 AM – 8:00 AM
Golden hour PM
5:39 PM – 6:34 PM
Blue hour AM
6:54 AM – 7:05 AM
Blue hour PM
6:34 PM – 6:45 PM
Full darkness
7:49 PM – 5:51 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:34 PM / 1:15 AM
Day length
10h 55m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/New York. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month

Month (15th)SunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:28 AM8:11 AM4:17 PM5:00 PM5:30 PM9h 31m
February7:00 AM7:39 AM5:00 PM5:38 PM6:06 PM10h 38m
March7:17 AM7:53 AM6:34 PM7:11 PM7:38 PM11h 54m
April6:25 AM7:02 AM7:07 PM7:44 PM8:13 PM13h 19m
May5:46 AM6:26 AM7:37 PM8:16 PM8:48 PM14h 30m
June5:31 AM6:13 AM7:58 PM8:40 PM9:14 PM15h 09m
July5:44 AM6:25 AM7:56 PM8:37 PM9:10 PM14h 53m
August6:14 AM6:52 AM7:27 PM8:05 PM8:35 PM13h 51m
September6:45 AM7:22 AM6:39 PM7:15 PM7:43 PM12h 30m
October7:16 AM7:54 AM5:47 PM6:25 PM6:52 PM11h 08m
November6:53 AM7:34 AM4:05 PM4:46 PM5:16 PM9h 53m
December7:24 AM8:08 AM3:52 PM4:36 PM5:08 PM9h 13m

Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.

Where the sun rises and sets in Back Mountain

At Back Mountain the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Back Mountain

143 photo locations lie within 80 km of Back Mountain. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.

Scenic Viewpoints

Scenic Viewpoint
Council Cup Scenic Overlook30 km away · Luzerne County · 364 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Jessup Overlook49 km away · Susquehanna County · 503 m
Scenic Viewpoint
French Azilum Overlook51 km away · Bradford County · 348 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Flagstaff Mountain Overlook58 km away · Carbon County · 400 m
Scenic Viewpoint
High Knob Overlook58 km away · Sullivan County · 617 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Mount Pocono Overlook60 km away · Monroe County · 514 m

Waterfalls

Adams FallsWaterfall
Adams Falls24 km away · Luzerne County · 381 m
Waterfall
Buttermilk Falls19 km away · Wyoming County · 196 m
Waterfall
Whirlpool Canyon Falls19 km away · Luzerne County · 382 m
Waterfall
Onondaga Falls23 km away · Luzerne County · 633 m
Waterfall
F L Ricketts Falls23 km away · Luzerne County · 606 m
Waterfall
Shawnee Falls23 km away · Luzerne County · 573 m

State Parks

Frances Slocum State ParkState Park
Frances Slocum State Park8.8 km away · Luzerne County
Ricketts Glen State ParkState Park
Ricketts Glen State Park22 km away · Luzerne County
Nescopeck State ParkState Park
Nescopeck State Park30 km away · Luzerne County
Lackawanna State ParkState Park
Lackawanna State Park36 km away · Lackawanna County
Archbald Pothole State ParkState Park
Archbald Pothole State Park40 km away · Lackawanna County
Hickory Run State ParkState Park
Hickory Run State Park42 km away · Carbon County

Lakes

Lake JeanLake
Lake Jean25 km away · Luzerne County · 676 m

Botanical Gardens

McDade ParkBotanical Garden
McDade Park25 km away · Lackawanna County
Lee and Virginia Graver ArboretumBotanical Garden
Lee and Virginia Graver Arboretum80 km away · Northampton County

Covered Bridges

Bittenbender Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Bittenbender Covered Bridge26 km away · Luzerne County
Y Covered Bridge No. 156Covered Bridge
Y Covered Bridge No. 15631 km away · Columbia County
Stillwater Covered Bridge No. 134Covered Bridge
Stillwater Covered Bridge No. 13437 km away · Columbia County
Josiah Hess Covered Bridge No. 122Covered Bridge
Josiah Hess Covered Bridge No. 12238 km away · Columbia County
Twin Bridges-East Paden Covered Bridge No. 120Covered Bridge
Twin Bridges-East Paden Covered Bridge No. 12039 km away · Columbia County
Twin Bridges-West Paden Covered Bridge No. 121Covered Bridge
Twin Bridges-West Paden Covered Bridge No. 12139 km away · Columbia County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Back Mountain is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Leonard Harrison State Park, about 128 km (79 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.

Darkest skies within 200 km

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Leonard Harrison State ParkState Park128 km (79 mi)2
Colton Point State ParkState Park129 km (80 mi)2
Hyner Run State ParkState Park137 km (85 mi)2
Ole Bull State ParkState Park145 km (90 mi)2
Lyman Run State ParkState Park154 km (96 mi)2
Cherry Springs State ParkDark Sky Place156 km (97 mi)2
Cherry Springs State ParkState Park156 km (97 mi)2
Denton Hill State ParkState Park160 km (99 mi)2
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
February5:21 AM – 5:21 AM0.010°
March4:33 AM – 5:43 AM1.217°
April2:33 AM – 4:43 AM2.219°
May12:30 AM – 3:50 AM3.320°
June10:48 PM – 3:18 AM4.520°
July10:38 PM – 1:58 AM3.320°
August9:49 PM – 11:49 PM2.019°
September8:49 PM – 9:49 PM1.016°
October7:56 PM – 7:56 PM0.010°

Cloud cover by month

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Back Mountain today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:05 AM – 8:00 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:39 PM – 6:34 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Back Mountain in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:25 PM and blue hour ends around 6:52 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Back Mountain?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:41 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:38 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Back Mountain?
Good options nearby include Miller Mountain, Forkston Mountain, Osterhout Mountain. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Back Mountain?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 6). Drive to Leonard Harrison State Park (128 km (79 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Back Mountain?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (51°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.