Photography planning tools
Astrian Light
Papeete: Moorea Silhouette and South Pacific Golden Hour
Golden hour, blue hour, and twilight times in Papeete. NASA JPL DE441 astronomical data.
Photo tip
Boulevard Pomare at sunset: face northwest across the lagoon for the Moorea silhouette against the lit sky. From late May through August the sun sets to the right of Moorea and illuminates its western slopes; from October through February it sets directly behind the island for a full backlit profile.
Papeete sits at 17.6°S on the northwest coast of Tahiti, facing Moorea Island across 17 km of open lagoon. Golden hour lasts roughly 22 minutes. The dominant composition is Moorea at sunset: the island presents its jagged volcanic profile (Mount Tohiea at 1,207 m) in full silhouette as the sun drops behind it or beside it depending on the season. The Boulevard Pomare waterfront (5 km of north-facing seafront) runs parallel to the lagoon and faces northwest; from the promenade at golden hour, the Moorea silhouette anchors the horizon. Point Venus (14 km northeast, a lighthouse and black-sand beach) is the classic sunrise position facing east. From June through August, the sun sets northwest and maximises the Moorea backlit silhouette; from October through February, it sets more directly behind the island.
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