Sterling is a city of about 27,822 people in Loudoun County, Virginia, at 89 m (292 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:25 AM and sets at 6:26 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:49 PM – 6:42 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 | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:57 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 | 8:14 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:24 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 39m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 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 | 5:56 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sterling
At Sterling 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 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Sterling
117 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sterling. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sterling is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Falls of Seneca, about 180 km (112 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 | 180 km (112 mi) | 2 |
| Mill Run | Ghost Town | 183 km (114 mi) | 2 |
| Blackwater Canyon | Canyon | 183 km (114 mi) | 2 |
| Spruce Knob | Mountain Peak | 185 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Olson Observation Tower | Fire Lookout | 188 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Sinks of Gandy | Cave | 194 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Laurel Fork North Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 196 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Hazel Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 86 km (54 mi) | 3 |
| 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 December as the cloudiest (66%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.