Sunrise and Sunset Times
Sunrise and sunset are the moments the sun's center is 0.833 degrees below the horizon, calculated with the NOAA Solar Calculator algorithm from your latitude, longitude and date. Pick a city or use your location.
How to use
- Pick a city from the list, or press Use my location. The location is read only when you press the button and is not sent anywhere.
- Choose a date. Sunrise and sunset appear at the top, with solar noon, day length, the three kinds of twilight and the golden hours below them.
- Scroll to the monthly table for sunrise, sunset, solar noon and day length for every day of the month, and use the arrows to change month. Switch between 24-hour and 12-hour time if you prefer.
How it works
The sun's position is calculated with the NOAA Solar Calculator algorithm: solar declination and the equation of time for the moment in question, then the sun's altitude from your latitude and longitude. Sunrise and sunset are the moments the sun's center is 0.833° below the horizon, which allows for atmospheric refraction and the sun's apparent radius.
Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight start and end when the sun is 6°, 12° and 18° below the horizon. Golden hour here means the time when the sun is lower than 6° above the horizon, between sunrise and that point in the morning and between that point and sunset in the evening. Solar noon is when the sun is highest.
Times use the city's own time zone, including daylight saving time on that date. Near the poles the sun can stay up all day (midnight sun) or stay down all day (polar night); the tool says so instead of showing a time. A time marked +1 happens just after midnight on the following day, as with a June sunset in Reykjavik. Real sunrise can differ by a minute or two with elevation, weather and the local horizon.
Twilight and golden hour at a glance
| Phase | Sun below horizon | What you can see |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | 0.833° | Upper edge of the sun at the horizon |
| Golden hour | up to 6° above | Low, warm light for photos |
| Civil twilight | 0° to 6° | Outdoor activity without lights, bright planets |
| Nautical twilight | 6° to 12° | Horizon still visible at sea, brighter stars |
| Astronomical twilight | 12° to 18° | Almost dark; faint objects need 18° |
FAQ
What time is sunrise and sunset today?
Pick your city and leave the date on today. The two large numbers at the top are sunrise and sunset in that city's local time, including daylight saving.
What is the difference between sunset and dusk?
Sunset is when the sun's upper edge drops below the horizon. Dusk is the twilight after it: civil twilight ends 6° below the horizon, nautical at 12° and astronomical at 18°, when the sky is fully dark.
What is golden hour?
The soft, warm light just after sunrise and just before sunset, popular with photographers. There is no single definition; this tool uses the time the sun is lower than 6° above the horizon.
Why is there no sunrise or sunset in some places?
Inside the polar regions the sun stays above the horizon for weeks in summer (midnight sun) and below it for weeks in winter (polar night). The tool shows which of the two applies for the date.
Why is the longest day not the day with the earliest sunrise?
Because solar noon drifts through the year (the equation of time). Around the June solstice the earliest sunrise comes a few days before the solstice and the latest sunset a few days after it.