SolarDial · for iPhone
When does the light go gold?
Pick any place — or where you are standing — and SolarDial tells you when the sun rises and sets, when solar noon falls, and when the golden and blue hours begin and end. Every number is worked out on the iPhone.
What you get
- TodayA countdown to the next sun event, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, day length, and the golden- and blue-hour windows.
- The Sun DialScrub through the day and watch the sun's altitude and azimuth move round a horizon dial, with a 16-point compass reading.
- PlacesSave cities, coordinates or your current position.
What it looks like
What golden hour and blue hour are
Photographers mean slightly different things by them. SolarDial uses the sun's height above the horizon:
| Window | Sun's altitude |
|---|---|
| Golden hour | from 6° above the horizon to 4° below |
| Blue hour | from 4° below to 6° below |
There is one of each in the morning and one of each in the evening. Neither is really an hour: near the equator the sun drops through those bands quickly, while in winter and far from the equator it slides across the horizon at a shallow angle and the golden light lasts much longer.
Free, with a one-time Pro
Today, the Sun Dial and two saved places are free. SolarDial Pro, a one-time purchase, adds unlimited places, a shadow-length calculator and a daylight trend chart.
Honest about the limits
- Astronomy, not weather. It knows where the sun is, not whether a cloud is in the way.
- Location only when you ask. Your position is used for a current-location fix; the rest works offline, with no account.
Last reviewed 22 September 2026