About Magic Hour Now
Magic Hour Now answers one question: when does the good light start, and when does it end?
It counts down to the next golden hour and blue hour wherever you are, lists the week ahead with the cloud forecast, and can remind you on your phone every day through a calendar subscription.
Why it exists
It was made by an independent filmmaker who kept looking up from work to find the light already gone. The fix was a page that says, in one number, how long until it is time to stop and go outside, and a calendar alert so the phone says it too. Chinese photographers call the blue part of that window 带密度, and there is a Chinese version of the countdown.
How the times are calculated
Sun positions come from the NOAA solar-position algorithm, evaluated for the exact coordinates you choose, and are usually within a minute of published sunrise and sunset tables. Golden hour is the sun between 6° and −0.83° (the apparent horizon); blue hour is −0.83° to −6°, which is civil twilight. Cloud cover and UV forecasts come from Open-Meteo.
Who runs it
Magic Hour Now is operated by YK TECH INC, a company registered in Colorado, USA. It is free to use and needs no account. Questions, corrections and ideas are welcome through the contact form.