Beach Guide

Melbourne Beach Sunset

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

Thu Oct 29 · — EDTLIVE

Golden hour · the sun is 2.9° up · overcast at 98% · low clouds 98% on the horizon

The sun goes down at

6:28 PM

T-00:05:00

Melbourne Beach faces east, so the sun goes down behind you, over land, 14 min before the official sunset time of 6:42 PM. Face the water for the pink afterglow in the half hour after. Melbourne Beach is in the view. Best light from 6:08 PM to 6:58 PM.

Sunset Score · Overcast (98% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night. Low clouds (98%) along the horizon could hide the sun a few minutes early.

4 PM · 6:23 PM · 9:30 PM

Prefer the real thing? Watch the live Sebastian Cam cam →

Tonight’s Lineup

artisans & buskers
🏄

Inlet Surfers

all day

🌅

Sunrise Chasers

at first light

🐢

Sea Turtles

summer nights

🎣

Snook Anglers

night

🌟

Stargazing

after dark

Know Before You Go

Sunrise

over water

Atlantic faces east - the morning surf and light are the show

Sebastian

state park

best surf on the Space Coast, 10 miles south

Sea turtles

summer nights

Melbourne Beach has one of the highest loggerhead nest densities in the US

Snook fishing

inlet lights

Sebastian Inlet bridge lights attract snook year-round at night

see you at sunset

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

What time is sunset at Melbourne Beach tonight?

Tonight, Thursday, October 29, the sun sets at 6:42 PM at Melbourne Beach. Melbourne 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 6:08 PM, and the sky stays light until about 7:05 PM. Tonight's Sunset Score is 3 out of 10. Overcast (98% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night.

Sunrise today was at 7:33 AM, which gives Melbourne Beach 11 hr 9 min of daylight. It is fully dark by about 7:32 PM.

Melbourne Beach sunset times this week

The next seven evenings at Melbourne 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
Tonight6:42 PMfrom 6:08 PM7:05 PM98%3/10
Fri Oct 306:41 PMfrom 6:07 PM7:04 PM100%3/10
Sat Oct 316:40 PMfrom 6:07 PM7:03 PM100%3/10
Sun Nov 15:39 PMfrom 5:06 PM6:03 PM100%3/10
Mon Nov 25:39 PMfrom 5:05 PM6:02 PM100%3/10
Tue Nov 35:38 PMfrom 5:04 PM6:01 PM72%6/10
Wed Nov 45:37 PMfrom 5:03 PM6:00 PM47%9/10

Where to watch the sunset at Melbourne Beach

Melbourne 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.

Can’t make it to the beach? Watch the live Sebastian Cam cam at sunset.

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 (294°); around December 21 it goes down furthest south, in the west-south-west (242°). In June it sets behind the beach. In December it sets behind the beach.

Golden hour and blue hour at Melbourne Beach

Golden hour tonight runs from 6:08 PM to sunset at 6:42 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 6:55 PM to 7:14 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.

Melbourne Beach sunset times by month

Sunrise, sunset and daylight on the 15th of each month. Over the next year the earliest sunset is 5:28 PM (Tue Dec 1) and the latest is 8:24 PM (Thu Jul 1). Times are local and include daylight saving time where it applies.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
October 20267:24 AM6:55 PM11 hr 31 min
November 20266:45 AM5:31 PM10 hr 46 min
December 20267:08 AM5:30 PM10 hr 22 min
January 20277:16 AM5:49 PM10 hr 33 min
February 20277:02 AM6:14 PM11 hr 12 min
March 20277:34 AM7:32 PM11 hr 58 min
April 20276:59 AM7:48 PM12 hr 50 min
May 20276:34 AM8:06 PM13 hr 32 min
June 20276:27 AM8:21 PM13 hr 55 min
July 20276:36 AM8:22 PM13 hr 46 min
August 20276:53 AM8:03 PM13 hr 10 min
September 20277:09 AM7:29 PM12 hr 21 min

Tips for a great sunset at Melbourne 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 Melbourne Beach parking for lots and rates.
  • Look at the water too. Today’s wind, waves and water temperature are on the Melbourne Beach conditions page.
  • Make a night of it. Find places to eat and sunset cruises and things to do at Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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.

Melbourne Beach sunset FAQ

What time is sunset at Melbourne Beach today?

The sun sets at 6:42 PM at Melbourne Beach today (Thursday, October 29).

What time is sunrise at Melbourne Beach today?

The sun rose at 7:33 AM at Melbourne Beach today.

How many hours of daylight does Melbourne Beach get today?

11 hr 9 min of daylight, from 7:33 AM to 6:42 PM.

When is golden hour at Melbourne Beach tonight?

Golden hour at Melbourne Beach runs from 6:08 PM to sunset at 6:42 PM, when the sun is low and the light turns warm and soft. Blue hour follows, from 6:55 PM to 7:14 PM.

When does it get dark at Melbourne Beach tonight?

The sky stays light enough to see without a flashlight until about 7:05 PM, the end of civil twilight. It is fully dark by about 7:32 PM.

Will the sunset be good at Melbourne Beach tonight?

Tonight's Sunset Score is 3 out of 10, from the cloud forecast at sunset. Overcast (98% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night.

Which direction does the sun set at Melbourne Beach?

Melbourne 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 Melbourne Beach?

No. Melbourne 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 Melbourne Beach?

Over the next year the earliest sunset at Melbourne Beach is 5:28 PM on Tuesday, December 1, and the latest is 8:24 PM on Thursday, July 1.

Is there a live sunset cam at Melbourne Beach?

Yes. The Sebastian Cam live cam shows Melbourne Beach in real time, linked from this page.

Sunset tonight at beaches near Melbourne Beach

Satellite Beach sunset7 mi6:42 PM
Cocoa Beach sunset17 mi6:42 PM
Vero Beach sunset32 mi6:41 PM
Fort Pierce sunset45 mi6:41 PM
Jensen Beach sunset62 mi6:41 PM
New Smyrna Beach sunset70 mi6:42 PM

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