Sunrise Sunset Calculator

Calculate sunrise time, sunset time, daylight hours, and solar noon for any location and date using latitude and longitude.

°
°
Sunrise (local solar)
Sunset (local solar)
Daylight Hours
Solar Noon
Extended More scenarios, charts & detailed breakdown
°
°
Sunrise
Sunset
Daylight Hours
Solar Noon
Professional Full parameters & maximum detail
°
°

Main Times

Sunrise
Sunset
Solar Noon
Daylight Hours

Twilight & Golden Hour

Civil Twilight (AM)
Civil Twilight (PM)
Golden Hour (Morning)
Golden Hour (Evening)

Astronomical

Julian Date

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Enter your latitude (positive = North, negative = South) and longitude (positive = East, negative = West).
  2. Enter the date you want to check.
  3. See sunrise, sunset, solar noon, and total daylight hours.
  4. Use Compare Dates to contrast winter and summer solstice daylight.
  5. The Professional tier adds civil/nautical/astronomical twilight times and golden hour windows.

Formula

Solar Declination = 23.45° × sin(360/365 × (day − 81)°)

Hour Angle at sunrise/sunset: cos(H) = −tan(lat) × tan(declination)

Daylight Hours = 2 × acos(−tan(lat) × tan(dec)) / 15

Example

Example: New York City (lat 40.71°, lon −74.01°), June 21 (summer solstice): Sunrise ≈ 5:25 AM, Sunset ≈ 8:30 PM, Daylight ≈ 15h 5min. Dec 21 (winter solstice): Sunrise ≈ 7:16 AM, Sunset ≈ 4:32 PM, Daylight ≈ 9h 15min.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Sunrise is calculated using the NOAA solar algorithms based on your latitude, longitude, and date. The calculation accounts for the equation of time and solar declination.
  • Solar noon is when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, exactly halfway between sunrise and sunset. It is not always at 12:00 PM clock time due to time zones and the equation of time.
  • Golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise and before sunset when daylight is softer and more orange. It typically lasts about 30–60 minutes depending on your latitude and time of year.
  • Civil twilight: sun is 0–6° below horizon (enough light for outdoor activities). Nautical twilight: 6–12° below (horizon visible at sea). Astronomical twilight: 12–18° below (faintest stars visible).
  • Earth's axial tilt causes the sun's path to vary by season. Near the summer solstice, days are longest; near the winter solstice, days are shortest. At the equator, day length is nearly constant year-round.

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