Bethlehem is a city of about 74,892 people in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, at 109 m (358 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:18 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:38 PM – 6:32 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 | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 17m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Bethlehem
At Bethlehem the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Bethlehem
170 photo locations lie within 80 km of Bethlehem. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Bethlehem is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Wenonan Falls, about 132 km (82 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wenonan Falls | Waterfall | 132 km (82 mi) | 3 |
| Cold Run Road Falls | Waterfall | 137 km (85 mi) | 3 |
| Worlds End State Park | State Park | 138 km (85 mi) | 3 |
| Angel Falls | Waterfall | 139 km (86 mi) | 3 |
| Forksville Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 141 km (87 mi) | 3 |
| Dry Run Falls | Waterfall | 141 km (88 mi) | 3 |
| High Knob Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 143 km (89 mi) | 3 |
| Hillsgrove Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 143 km (89 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:24 AM – 3:44 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:21 AM | 4.7 | 20° |
| July | 10:32 PM – 1:52 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:54 PM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 8:45 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 7:53 PM – 7:53 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.