Pasadena is a city of about 153,784 people in Harris County, Texas. Today the sun rises at 7:26 AM and sets at 6:46 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:14 PM – 7:01 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 | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:32 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:29 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 15m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Pasadena
At Pasadena 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
Best photo spots near Pasadena
15 photo locations lie within 80 km of Pasadena. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Pasadena is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sabine Bank Light, about 146 km (91 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabine Bank Light | Lighthouse | 146 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| Upland Island Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 174 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Sam Rayburn Reservoir | Lake | 185 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Matagorda Island Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 191 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 73 km (45 mi) | 3 |
| Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 78 km (48 mi) | 3 |
| San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 97 km (60 mi) | 3 |
| McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 99 km (62 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 3:49 AM – 6:09 AM | 2.3 | 28° |
| April | 1:51 AM – 5:21 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 11:48 PM – 4:58 AM | 5.2 | 31° |
| June | 10:00 PM – 4:40 AM | 6.7 | 31° |
| July | 9:57 PM – 3:17 AM | 5.3 | 31° |
| August | 9:29 PM – 1:09 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 8:48 PM – 11:08 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 8:11 PM – 9:11 PM | 1.0 | 20° |
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 (64%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.