Date & Time
Sunrise & Sunset Calculator - Sun Times for Any Location
Calculate sunrise, sunset, and solar noon times for any latitude and longitude. Enter coordinates manually or use your browser location. Results adjust to any UTC offset.
Twilight types
"Sunrise" and "sunset" are when the Sun's upper limb is at the horizon. Twilight - the period of partial illumination before/after - is divided into three categories:
| Type | Sun's altitude | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Civil twilight | 0° to −6° | Bright enough for outdoor activities without artificial light |
| Nautical twilight | −6° to −12° | Horizon still visible; used by sailors for navigation |
| Astronomical twilight | −12° to −18° | Sky dark enough for most astronomical observations |
Daylight variation
At the equator, day length is nearly constant at 12 hours year-round. At mid-latitudes (45°N/S), day length swings from about 8.5 hours in winter to about 15.5 hours in summer. At the Arctic/Antarctic circles (66.5°), the Sun never sets on summer solstice and never rises on winter solstice.
The equation of time
The sun does not rise and set at precisely the same time each day. Earth's elliptical orbit and axial tilt cause solar noon to vary by up to ±16 minutes across the year - a phenomenon called the equation of time. This is why sunrise and sunset times do not shift uniformly throughout the year, and why a sundial rarely agrees exactly with a clock.
Solstice vs. equinox
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year, but it is not the day with the latest sunset or earliest sunrise. Due to the equation of time, the earliest sunrise occurs about a week before the summer solstice, and the latest sunset occurs about a week after it.
Similarly, the earliest sunset in winter occurs roughly two weeks before the winter solstice (the shortest day). This surprises many people who assume the darkest evening falls on the solstice itself.
Polar phenomena
At latitudes above 66.5° (the Arctic and Antarctic Circles), the Sun can remain above or below the horizon for 24 consecutive hours:
- Midnight sun: the Sun stays above the horizon throughout the night at high summer. At 66.5°, this occurs for just one day per year; at the poles, for six months.
- Polar night: the Sun stays below the horizon throughout the day at mid-winter. The duration also increases with latitude, reaching six continuous months of darkness at the geographic poles.