What counts as golden hour
Golden hour is the period when the sun sits low — conventionally between 4° below and 6° above the horizon. Sunlight travels through far more atmosphere, which scatters blue light away and leaves the warm reds and oranges, while shadows turn long and soft. It occurs twice a day: shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset.
Golden hour length depends on latitude
Near the equator the sun climbs steeply, so golden hour lasts a brisk 20–30 minutes. At 50° latitude it can stretch past an hour in summer. The calculator computes the real window from the sun's geometry for your city and date — no fixed table can do that correctly.
Practical shooting tips
Arrive 15 minutes before the window opens: the best colour often lands in the first and last five minutes. Cloudless skies go grey after sunset — thin mid or high cloud catches the colour instead. And after the evening golden hour ends, the blue hour begins (sun 4–8° below the horizon), excellent for cityscapes.