South Riding is a city of about 24,256 people in Loudoun County, Virginia, at 98 m (322 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:25 AM and sets at 6:26 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:49 PM – 6:43 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 | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in South Riding
At South Riding the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near South Riding
109 photo locations lie within 80 km of South Riding. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouseBeaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central South Riding is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Falls of Seneca, about 172 km (107 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls of Seneca | Waterfall | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Mill Run | Ghost Town | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Spruce Knob | Mountain Peak | 178 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Blackwater Canyon | Canyon | 178 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Olson Observation Tower | Fire Lookout | 183 km (113 mi) | 2 |
| Sinks of Gandy | Cave | 187 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Laurel Fork North Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Laurel Fork South Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 193 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:24 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.2 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.