Harker Heights is a city of about 29,142 people in Bell County, Texas, at 233 m (764 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:37 AM and sets at 6:55 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:22 PM – 7:10 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 | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 21m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 06m |
| March | 7:42 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:24 PM | 12h 56m |
| May | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 44m |
| June | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 09m |
| July | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 59m |
| August | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 17m |
| September | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:34 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 35m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 09m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Harker Heights
At Harker Heights the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
Best photo spots near Harker Heights
13 photo locations lie within 80 km of Harker Heights. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
Natural Arches
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Harker Heights is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Spy Rock, about 144 km (89 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spy Rock | Mountain Peak | 144 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| The Falls | Waterfall | 174 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Nix | Ghost Town | 67 km (42 mi) | 3 |
| Post Oak Falls | Waterfall | 77 km (48 mi) | 3 |
| Inks Lake State Park | State Park | 78 km (49 mi) | 3 |
| Gorman Falls | Waterfall | 78 km (49 mi) | 3 |
| Colorado Bend State Park | State Park | 79 km (49 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Buchanan | Lake | 81 km (50 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 4:00 AM – 6:20 AM | 2.3 | 27° |
| April | 2:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| May | 12:02 AM – 5:02 AM | 5.0 | 30° |
| June | 10:15 PM – 4:45 AM | 6.5 | 30° |
| July | 10:12 PM – 3:22 AM | 5.2 | 30° |
| August | 9:42 PM – 1:22 AM | 3.7 | 30° |
| September | 9:00 PM – 11:20 PM | 2.3 | 27° |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:21 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.