Odessa is a city of about 114,428 people in Ector County, Texas, at 884 m (2,900 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:57 AM and sets at 7:13 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:40 PM – 7:28 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 | 7:51 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 7:32 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 8:01 AM | 8:33 AM | 7:26 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:44 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 13m |
| July | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:22 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 02m |
| August | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 7:34 AM | 8:06 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:53 AM | 8:26 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 7:43 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 05m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Odessa
At Odessa 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 299° (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 Odessa
4 photo locations lie within 80 km of Odessa. 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 Odessa is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Orla, about 146 km (90 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orla | Ghost Town | 146 km (90 mi) | 1 |
| Balmorhea State Park | State Park | 168 km (104 mi) | 1 |
| Limpia Canyon | Canyon | 177 km (110 mi) | 1 |
| Eye of the Needle | Natural Arch | 194 km (121 mi) | 1 |
| Kent | Ghost Town | 196 km (121 mi) | 1 |
| Pyote | Ghost Town | 80 km (49 mi) | 2 |
| Stiles | Ghost Town | 90 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Llano Estacado | Rock Formation | 133 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:18 AM – 6:08 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 4:29 AM – 6:29 AM | 2.0 | 26° |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:53 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| May | 12:23 AM – 5:13 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:56 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 10:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.0 | 29° |
| August | 10:02 PM – 1:32 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| September | 9:18 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 8:39 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (46%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.