Sunrise, sunset and twilight calculations
Sunrise and sunset depend on latitude, longitude, date and the local horizon. Choose a location to compare daylight, twilight and the sun's position through the day. Calculated times assume an unobstructed horizon.
How to use this map
Search for a place, click anywhere on the map, or use your current location. You will see today's sunrise, sunset, day length, twilight and golden hour, plus a chart of the sun's height through the day and a seven-day table. Click a row in the table to see the details for that day. Times are shown in the place's own time zone by default; switch to your time or UTC if you are planning from somewhere else. The shaded area on the map shows where it is currently night.
How the times are calculated
Everything is calculated in your browser with the NOAA solar position equations, which are accurate to about a minute for most of the world. Sunrise and sunset are the moments the top edge of the sun touches the horizon. Because the atmosphere bends light, that happens when the sun's centre is about 0.83° below the horizon. The calculation assumes a flat, sea-level horizon, so mountains, valleys and tall buildings can shift what you actually see by several minutes.
What affects sunrise and sunset times
Latitude
Distance from the equator has the biggest effect. Near the equator, day and night stay close to 12 hours each all year. Toward the poles the seasonal swing grows, and inside the Arctic and Antarctic Circles there is midnight sun (24-hour daylight) in summer and polar night (24-hour darkness) in winter.
Time of year
Earth's axis is tilted about 23.4°. In summer your hemisphere leans toward the sun and days are longer; in winter it leans away and days are shorter. The solstices mark the longest and shortest days, and around the equinoxes day and night are nearly equal everywhere.
Longitude and time zones
Time zones are wide, so the clock time of sunrise depends on where you are within one. Places on the eastern edge of a zone see the sun rise and set earlier by the clock than places on the western edge. Daylight saving time shifts both by an hour.
Twilight, blue hour and golden hour
The change from day to night is gradual. Twilight is the time when the sun is below the horizon but still lights the sky:
- Civil twilight: sun 0–6° below the horizon. There is enough light for most outdoor activities. The start and end are shown above as first and last light.
- Nautical twilight: 6–12° below. The horizon is still visible at sea, so sailors could take star sightings.
- Astronomical twilight: 12–18° below. The sky is dark enough for all but the faintest astronomical observations.
Photographers talk about the golden hour, when the sun is low and the light is warm and soft. This tool uses the common definition of the sun between 6° above and 4° below the horizon. The blue hour follows in the evening (and comes before it in the morning), with the sun 4–6° below the horizon.
Calculation reference
The calculations follow the NOAA solar calculator equations. The map uses online tiles; solar times are calculated in your browser. Atmospheric conditions and local terrain can change the sunrise or sunset you observe.
