Beach Guide

Main Beach Sunset

painted for this minute from Main Beach’s own horizon and tonight’s cloud forecast

Mon Nov 2 · — ESTLIVE

The sun is touching the horizon · clear at 0%

The sun goes down at

4:43 PM

T-00:05:00

Main Beach faces east, so the sun goes down behind you, over land, 2 min before the official sunset time of 4:45 PM. Face the water for the pink afterglow in the half hour after. Main Beach is in the view. Best light from 4:23 PM to 5:13 PM.

Sunset Score · Clear sky (0% cloud): a clean sunset, but the color fades fast. Nothing low on the horizon, so you should see the sun all the way down.

4 PM · 4:38 PM · 9:30 PM

Tonight’s Lineup

artisans & buskers
🌾

Dune Grass Gold

golden hour

🏛️

1910 Bathhouse

golden hour

🌊

Atlantic Break

all evening

🐦

Osprey & Terns

before sunset

Know Before You Go

Beach access

$30/day

non-resident summer permit

Best spot

center strand

bathhouse in the frame

Surf

2-5 ft

Atlantic swell · strong break

Golden hour

45 min

before sunset · dune grass lit

see you at sunset

Tonight’s times, the week ahead and the year by month are below. Main Beach Sunset runs nightly, weather permitting, from about two hours before sunset.

What time is sunset at Main Beach tonight?

Tonight, Monday, November 2, the sun sets at 4:45 PM at Main Beach. Main Beach faces east, so the sun goes down behind the beach, over land. Turn and face the water for the pink and purple afterglow in the half hour after. Golden hour starts at 4:05 PM, and the sky stays light until about 5:13 PM. Tonight's Sunset Score is 5 out of 10. Clear sky (0% cloud): a clean sunset, but the color fades fast.

Sunrise today was at 6:22 AM, which gives Main Beach 10 hr 24 min of daylight. It is fully dark by about 5:45 PM.

Main Beach sunset times this week

The next seven evenings at Main Beach: when the sun goes down, when golden hour starts and when the last light fades, plus the Sunset Score from each night's cloud forecast.

DaySunsetGolden hourLast lightCloudScore
Tonight4:45 PMfrom 4:05 PM5:13 PM0%5/10
Tue Nov 34:44 PMfrom 4:04 PM5:12 PM100%3/10
Wed Nov 44:43 PMfrom 4:03 PM5:11 PM0%5/10
Thu Nov 54:42 PMfrom 4:01 PM5:09 PM16%7/10
Fri Nov 64:41 PMfrom 4:00 PM5:08 PM100%3/10
Sat Nov 74:40 PMfrom 3:59 PM5:07 PM0%5/10
Sun Nov 84:39 PMfrom 3:58 PM5:06 PM36%9/10

Where to watch the sunset at Main Beach

Main Beach faces east, away from the sunset. The sun goes down behind you, over land, so the view to catch is the afterglow: the band of pink above the dark blue shadow of the earth rising over the water, best from sunset to about 30 minutes after.

Where the sun sets through the year

The spot where the sun sets moves along the horizon through the year. Around June 21 it goes down furthest north, in the west-north-west (302°); around December 21 it goes down furthest south, in the west-south-west (239°). In June it sets behind the beach. In December it sets behind the beach.

Golden hour and blue hour at Main Beach

Golden hour tonight runs from 4:05 PM to sunset at 4:45 PM. The sun is low, the light is warm and soft, and shadows are long. It is the best time for photos of people on the beach.

Blue hour follows, from about 5:02 PM to 5:24 PM, when the sun is below the horizon and the sky turns deep blue. The first lights come on along the shore and the water holds the last of the color.

Main Beach sunset times by month

Sunrise, sunset and daylight on the 15th of each month. Over the next year the earliest sunset is 4:22 PM (Tue Dec 8) and the latest is 8:26 PM (Mon Jun 28). Times are local and include daylight saving time where it applies.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
November 20266:37 AM4:32 PM9 hr 55 min
December 20267:08 AM4:23 PM9 hr 15 min
January 20277:13 AM4:46 PM9 hr 33 min
February 20276:45 AM5:24 PM10 hr 39 min
March 20277:02 AM6:56 PM11 hr 53 min
April 20276:11 AM7:29 PM13 hr 17 min
May 20275:33 AM8:00 PM14 hr 27 min
June 20275:18 AM8:24 PM15 hr 6 min
July 20275:30 AM8:21 PM14 hr 51 min
August 20276:00 AM7:50 PM13 hr 50 min
September 20276:30 AM7:01 PM12 hr 31 min
October 20277:01 AM6:11 PM11 hr 10 min

Tips for a great sunset at Main Beach

  • Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. The best spots fill up, and the light is often at its best in the last half hour before the sun goes down.
  • Stay 20 minutes after. The clouds often light up brightest after the sun is gone, and most people have already left.
  • Check the Sunset Score. Scattered clouds make the most color. A clear sky gives a clean sunset that fades fast, and a heavy overcast can hide it.
  • Plan your parking. Sunset is a busy time at popular beaches. See Main Beach parking for lots and rates.
  • Look at the water too. Today’s wind, waves and water temperature are on the Main Beach conditions page.
  • Make a night of it. Find places to eat and sunset cruises and things to do at Main Beach.

How we work out the sunset time

The official sunset time is when the top of the sun sinks below a flat sea horizon. We also check Main Beach’s real horizon: the hills, headlands and islands you can see from the sand. When land is in the way, the sun disappears before the official time, and we show you that earlier time. The Sunset Score rates how colorful the sky should be from the cloud forecast at sunset. Buildings are not included, so a tall hotel beside you can still hide the last minute.

Main Beach sunset FAQ

What time is sunset at Main Beach today?

The sun sets at 4:45 PM at Main Beach today (Monday, November 2).

What time is sunrise at Main Beach today?

The sun rose at 6:22 AM at Main Beach today.

How many hours of daylight does Main Beach get today?

10 hr 24 min of daylight, from 6:22 AM to 4:45 PM.

When is golden hour at Main Beach tonight?

Golden hour at Main Beach runs from 4:05 PM to sunset at 4:45 PM, when the sun is low and the light turns warm and soft. Blue hour follows, from 5:02 PM to 5:24 PM.

When does it get dark at Main Beach tonight?

The sky stays light enough to see without a flashlight until about 5:13 PM, the end of civil twilight. It is fully dark by about 5:45 PM.

Will the sunset be good at Main Beach tonight?

Tonight's Sunset Score is 5 out of 10, from the cloud forecast at sunset. Clear sky (0% cloud): a clean sunset, but the color fades fast.

Which direction does the sun set at Main Beach?

Main Beach faces east, so the sun sets behind the beach, over land. Tonight it goes down in the west-south-west.

Can you see the sun set over the water at Main Beach?

No. Main Beach faces east, so the sun sets behind you, over land. The show over the water is the afterglow in the half hour after sunset.

What are the earliest and latest sunset times at Main Beach?

Over the next year the earliest sunset at Main Beach is 4:22 PM on Tuesday, December 8, and the latest is 8:26 PM on Monday, June 28.

Sunset tonight at beaches near Main Beach

Cooper's Beach sunset12 mi4:46 PM
Ditch Plains Beach sunset14 mi4:44 PM
Rocky Neck State Park sunset24 mi4:45 PM
Ocean Beach Park sunset25 mi4:44 PM
Hammonasset Beach sunset29 mi4:46 PM
Watch Hill Beach sunset30 mi4:43 PM

See every beach on one map: sunset times tonight across the US →