Aberdeen is a city of about 28,102 people in Brown County, South Dakota, at 397 m (1,302 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:57 AM and sets at 6:41 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:00 PM – 7:00 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 | 8:11 AM | 8:58 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 7:37 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:20 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 7:47 AM | 8:27 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 6:04 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 5:46 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:03 PM | 15h 39m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 20m |
| August | 6:36 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:51 AM | 8:31 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:20 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:34 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 8:08 AM | 8:57 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 44m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Aberdeen
At Aberdeen the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
Best photo spots near Aberdeen
4 photo locations lie within 80 km of Aberdeen. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Botanical Gardens
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Aberdeen is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 4.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 39 km (24 mi) | 1 |
| Dakota Lake National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 64 km (40 mi) | 1 |
| Maple River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 67 km (42 mi) | 1 |
| Waubay National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 89 km (56 mi) | 1 |
| Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 104 km (65 mi) | 1 |
| Storm Lake National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 118 km (73 mi) | 1 |
| Mineral Springs Falls | Waterfall | 124 km (77 mi) | 1 |
| Bone Hill National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 124 km (77 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:39 AM – 5:59 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:39 AM – 4:49 AM | 1.2 | 15° |
| May | 1:39 AM – 3:49 AM | 2.2 | 16° |
| June | 12:02 AM – 3:02 AM | 3.0 | 16° |
| July | 11:45 PM – 1:45 AM | 2.0 | 16° |
| August | 10:40 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.2 | 14° |
| September | 9:29 PM – 9:49 PM | 0.3 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (67%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.