Abilene is a city of about 125,182 people in Taylor County, Texas, at 524 m (1,719 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:47 AM and sets at 7:02 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:28 PM – 7:17 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 | 7:41 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 7:50 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:34 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 16m |
| July | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 7:24 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:43 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 02m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Abilene
At Abilene the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Abilene
4 photo locations lie within 80 km of Abilene. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Abilene is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Double Mountain, about 96 km (60 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double Mountain | Mountain Peak | 96 km (60 mi) | 1 |
| Salt Croton Falls | Waterfall | 117 km (72 mi) | 1 |
| Copper Breaks State Park | Dark Sky Place | 185 km (115 mi) | 1 |
| Copper Breaks State Park | State Park | 185 km (115 mi) | 1 |
| Butman Falls | Waterfall | 39 km (24 mi) | 2 |
| Fort Griffin | Ghost Town | 71 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Rath City | Ghost Town | 75 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Clairemont | Ghost Town | 124 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:58 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 4:19 AM – 6:19 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 2:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 12:15 AM – 5:05 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 10:30 PM – 4:50 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 10:26 PM – 3:16 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| August | 9:54 PM – 1:14 AM | 3.3 | 29° |
| September | 9:09 PM – 11:19 PM | 2.2 | 25° |
| October | 8:29 PM – 9:19 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (51%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.