Big Spring is a city of about 28,862 people in Howard County, Texas, at 744 m (2,441 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:54 AM and sets at 7:09 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:36 PM – 7:24 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 | 7:48 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 16m |
| February | 7:29 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 7:57 AM | 8:29 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:41 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 48m |
| June | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:19 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 15m |
| July | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:19 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:50 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 7:40 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 03m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Big Spring
At Big Spring 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 Big Spring
2 photo locations lie within 80 km of Big Spring. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Big Spring is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Double Mountain, about 132 km (82 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 | 132 km (82 mi) | 1 |
| Salt Croton Falls | Waterfall | 163 km (101 mi) | 1 |
| Caverns of Sonora | Cave | 199 km (124 mi) | 1 |
| Mesquite | Ghost Town | 70 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Justiceburg | Ghost Town | 92 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Stiles | Ghost Town | 94 km (59 mi) | 2 |
| Llano Estacado | Rock Formation | 97 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Alan Henry | Lake | 98 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:15 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 4:26 AM – 6:26 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 3.3 | 29° |
| May | 12:21 AM – 5:11 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:56 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 10:32 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.0 | 29° |
| August | 10:01 PM – 1:31 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| September | 9:16 PM – 11:26 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 8:36 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 35% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (48%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.