The SunCast blog

Guides to golden hour, sunrise and sunset direction, and planning light for photography, home and garden — from the team behind the SunCast app.

Leafy vegetables growing in a raised garden bed

Gardening

How to Choose the Best Spot for Raised Beds in Your Garden

Find a raised-bed position that suits your crops, stays practical to maintain and receives sunlight during the months you will grow.

· 8 min read

Solar panels installed across a pitched tiled roof beneath a blue sky

Real Estate & Home

How to Estimate Roof Solar Potential Before a Survey

Turn roof area, orientation and shade into a transparent first estimate of solar electricity production, with clear limits on what the result means.

· 8 min read

Orange and pink sunset clouds reflected in a lake above silhouetted trees

Photography

Will Tonight's Sunset Be Worth Photographing?

A practical way to judge sunset colour potential, choose a viewpoint and make a useful plan when the forecast is uncertain.

· 8 min read

Raised vegetable garden beds receiving direct sunlight, illustrating how garden exposure changes through the day

Gardening

Morning Sun vs. Afternoon Sun for Plants: Which Is Better?

The same number of direct-sun hours can feel very different in the morning and afternoon. Here is how to match the light window to the plant and climate.

· 5 min read

A person using a smartphone to photograph the sun near the horizon, illustrating future sun-path planning

The Science of Sunlight

How to See the Sun Path on a Future Date

A practical way to preview the sun path for a future day—and turn the result into a useful plan for a photo, home, garden, or outdoor trip.

· 5 min read

Sun Tracker AR icon over a sunlit building terrace with long architectural shadows

Sun Tracker Apps

5 Best Sun Tracker AR Alternatives in 2026

Compare Sun Tracker AR alternatives for real-world 3D shadows, Street View, weather, Sun and Moon planning, Android, and exact celestial alignment.

· 5 min read

Hiker with a backpack walking beneath trees on a shaded summer trail

Outdoors

How to Find Shade on a Summer Hike

A practical method for predicting when ridges, trees, and trail features will provide useful shade during a hot-weather hike.

· 14 min read

Apartment building with balconies and windows, illustrating how surrounding buildings and orientation affect balcony sunlight

Real Estate & Home

How to Check Whether a Balcony Gets Direct Sunlight

A simple way to find out when a balcony gets direct sun—and why one bright viewing is not enough evidence.

· 5 min read

Strong sunlight casting a sharp shadow across a modern building facade, illustrating why sun direction matters in architectural photography

Photography

How to Plan Architectural Photography Around Sun Direction

A practical workflow for choosing when a building facade will be lit, shaded, backlit, or visually flat before a photography shoot.

· 5 min read

Person holding an iPhone outdoors in autumn sunlight

Sun Tracker Apps

Best Sun Tracker Apps for iPhone in 2026

A fair, use-case-led comparison of five iPhone sun trackers for AR, shadows, photography, property checks, gardens, and outdoor plans.

· 8 min read

Sunlit raised garden beds with chili pepper and herb plants

Gardening

Full Sun, Partial Sun, and Shade: How to Measure Your Garden

Plant tags are only useful when you know how much direct light each part of your garden actually receives. Here is a simple, repeatable way to measure it.

· 6 min read

Photographer scouting a mountain landscape at sunrise with a tripod

Photography

The Location-Scouting Checklist for Outdoor Photographers

A repeatable location-scouting checklist that turns a beautiful place into a workable photo plan—before the subject, client, or crew arrives.

· 6 min read

Aerial view of suburban homes casting long shadows across streets

Real Estate & Home

North- vs South-Facing Homes: Sunlight by Season

A practical way to assess a home's orientation: start with hemisphere and season, then check window direction, nearby shade, and the rooms you will use.

· 6 min read

Tent pitched in a sunny mountain campsite with low sunlight over the ridge

Outdoors

How to Choose a Campsite That Won't Bake at Sunrise

A practical campsite sunlight check for avoiding an exposed tent, an overheated morning, or a sunrise that hits earlier than expected.

· 5 min read

Snow-covered house lit by low winter sunlight

Real Estate & Home

How to Tell If a House Gets Good Winter Sun Before You Buy

A home-buyer checklist for judging winter sunlight before the shortest days reveal the real light.

· 5 min read

Long winter shadows from bare trees stretching across snow

The Science of Sunlight

How Shadows Change From Winter to Summer

A plain-English explanation of why winter shadows stretch farther, summer shadows shrink, and seasonal shade planning needs more than one date.

· 5 min read

Bright apartment living room with large windows and a gray sofa

Real Estate & Home

The Sunlight Checklist for Apartment Viewings

A practical checklist for judging whether an apartment gets real sun before you rent or buy.

· 6 min read

Sunny raised garden bed filled with green vegetables

Gardening

How to Map Sun Exposure in Your Garden Before Planting

A practical method for mapping where sun hits your yard so plants, raised beds, and patios land in the right place.

· 4 min read

Outdoor photographer holding a camera among green leaves

Photography

How to Plan a Photoshoot Around Light Direction, Not Just Time

A practical guide to planning outdoor shoots around where the light comes from, not only when it happens.

· 5 min read

A deep-blue twilight sky during blue hour

Photography

What Is Blue Hour? The Cool Light After Sunset (and How It Differs From Golden Hour)

The quiet, deep-blue light that bookends the day — what causes it, when it happens, and how it differs from golden hour.

· 5 min read

Illustration of a house with an outward arrow from its front door pointing south, at a bearing of 180 degrees

Real Estate & Home

Which Way Does My House Face? Compass & Map Guide

Three reliable ways to find your home's orientation — and what a north-, south-, east-, or west-facing aspect actually means for daylight and warmth.

· 5 min read

Silhouette of a tree against a glowing sky during golden hour

Photography

What Time Is Golden Hour Today? A Simple Guide

How to find your local golden hour times today — and why they shift with your latitude, the season, and the weather.

· 4 min read

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