Photography planning tools
Plan the perfect light.
Golden hour, blue hour, moonrise, and Milky Way visibility for any location on Earth. Know exactly when and where to shoot, down to the minute.
Open Golden Hour calculatorBuilt on NASA JPL DE441 ephemeris data.
Light Magazine
Featured stories from this issue
EventsThe Total Solar Eclipse of August 12, 2026 in Spain
The complete photography planning guide for the 2026 total solar eclipse in Spain. Locations, equipment, settings, safety, and weather strategy.
GearThe best full-frame cameras of 2026, ranked by application
We evaluated 31 full-frame mirrorless cameras across seven photography applications: landscape, portrait, wildlife, video, astrophotography, travel, and value. One winner per category with technical justification, not marketing.
Natural lightGolden Hour Photography: Why the Best Light Lasts Minutes, Not Hours
The science behind golden hour, how its duration changes dramatically by location and season, and how to plan your shoots around the best natural light.
Photography planning tools
Planning tools
Every tool runs in your browser. No account, no data sent anywhere.
Golden Hour Calculator
Precise golden hour, blue hour, and twilight times for any location. Monthly calendar with duration trends.
Open toolMoon Calendar
Lunar phase, rise/set times, and astrophotography ratings. Plan your moonrise shots months ahead.
Open toolSky Planner
Interactive map with sun/moon arcs, planet positions, and complete light timeline. Your shoot, planned.
Open toolMilky Way Planner
Galactic center visibility windows. Dark sky ratings. Seasonal calendar for your latitude.
Open toolCelestial Events
Eclipse paths, meteor shower peaks, planetary conjunctions. Photography guides for every event.
Open toolPhoto Calculators
Depth of field, hyperfocal distance, ND filter exposure, timelapse, spot stars (500/NPF rule), field of view.
Open toolAstrian Light
Photography guides
Golden Hour Photography: Why the Best Light Lasts Minutes, Not Hours
The science behind golden hour, how its duration changes dramatically by location and season, and how to plan your shoots around the best natural light.
Blue Hour Photography: The 30-Minute Window Most Photographers Miss
What blue hour actually is, when it happens, and how to use it for cityscape, landscape, and architectural photography.
Understanding Twilight: Civil, Nautical, and Astronomical
The three stages of twilight explained for photographers. When each one starts, what light it produces, and what you can shoot during it.
Why Astrian Light
Astronomical precision
Every calculation runs on NASA JPL DE441 ephemeris data, the same source used by space agencies for mission planning. Sub-arcminute precision for sun and moon positions, anywhere on Earth.
100% in your browser
All calculators run entirely in your browser. No account required, no data sent to any server. Your camera and lens database stays local.
Built for photographers
Built by photographers, for photographers. No ads, no tracking, no dark patterns.
Newsletter
Planning tips for your next shoot.
Monthly golden hour highlights, upcoming celestial events worth photographing, and seasonal Milky Way windows. Free, no spam.
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Support this project
Built independently, no external funding. If these tools help your photography, consider supporting the project.
Support on Ko-fi (opens in new tab)Astrian Light is in development. If you notice something that doesn't work as expected, we'd appreciate hearing about it at hello@astrian.app.