The Colony is a city of about 41,779 people in Denton County, Texas, at 180 m (591 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:36 AM and sets at 6:50 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:16 PM – 7:05 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 | 7:31 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 7:39 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:32 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 59m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in The Colony
At The Colony 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near The Colony
8 photo locations lie within 80 km of The Colony. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central The Colony is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hatsboro, about 117 km (73 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatsboro | Ghost Town | 117 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Spanish Fort | Ghost Town | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Red River Station | Ghost Town | 122 km (76 mi) | 3 |
| Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 123 km (76 mi) | 3 |
| Ben Wheeler | Ghost Town | 132 km (82 mi) | 3 |
| Cheadle Falls | Waterfall | 135 km (84 mi) | 3 |
| Slippery Falls | Waterfall | 136 km (85 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Whitney State Park | State Park | 136 km (85 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 4:09 AM – 6:09 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 2:05 AM – 5:25 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 12:06 AM – 4:46 AM | 4.7 | 28° |
| June | 10:21 PM – 4:31 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 10:17 PM – 3:07 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 1:05 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:59 PM | 2.0 | 25° |
| October | 8:18 PM – 9:08 PM | 0.8 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September 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.