Temple is a city of about 72,277 people in Bell County, Texas, at 219 m (719 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:36 AM and sets at 6:53 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:21 PM – 7:08 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 | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 21m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 06m |
| March | 7:40 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 56m |
| May | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 44m |
| June | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 09m |
| July | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 59m |
| August | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 17m |
| September | 7:14 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 35m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 08m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Temple
At Temple 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 Temple
7 photo locations lie within 80 km of Temple. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Temple is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Spy Rock, about 174 km (108 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 | 174 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Port Sullivan | Ghost Town | 67 km (42 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Whitney State Park | State Park | 93 km (58 mi) | 3 |
| Meridian State Park | State Park | 95 km (59 mi) | 3 |
| Nix | Ghost Town | 98 km (61 mi) | 3 |
| Inks Lake State Park | State Park | 106 km (66 mi) | 3 |
| Post Oak Falls | Waterfall | 107 km (66 mi) | 3 |
| Gorman Falls | Waterfall | 109 km (67 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:48 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 3:58 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.3 | 27° |
| April | 2:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| May | 12:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 5.0 | 30° |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:43 AM | 6.5 | 30° |
| July | 10:10 PM – 3:20 AM | 5.2 | 30° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 1:20 AM | 3.7 | 30° |
| September | 8:58 PM – 11:18 PM | 2.3 | 27° |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:19 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.