UtilibyWritten by the Utiliby editorial team · Last updated October 17, 2026 · Rules and formulas reviewed October 2026
What this free sunrise and sunset calculator does
When does the sun come up, and when does it go down? This free online sunrise and sunset calculator gives the answer for any of 114 cities and airports, or any pair of coordinates, on any date. Along with sunrise and sunset it shows solar noon, day length and how much longer or shorter the day is than yesterday, plus civil, nautical and astronomical twilight and the morning and evening golden hour and blue hour.
A sun path chart plots the sun's height through the day, and a slider shows its elevation and compass bearing at any time. The Year tab charts daylight through the year and finds the longest and shortest days. The cities tab compares sunrise, sunset and day length in 24 cities for the same date. It is useful for photographers, travellers, hikers, gardeners, pilots, sailors and anyone planning a day outdoors. Everything runs in your browser.
How to use the sunrise and sunset calculator
- Choose a place. Pick a city or airport from the list, or type coordinates like 41.26, 69.28.
- Choose a date, or press Use today.
- For custom coordinates, enter the UTC offset in hours, including daylight saving.
- Read sunrise, sunset, day length and twilight times.
- Drag the slider to see the sun's elevation and bearing through the day.
- Use the other tabs for the yearly chart and a comparison of world cities.
How sunrise and sunset are calculated
The calculator follows the NOAA solar position equations. For the date it computes the sun's declination (how far north or south of the equator it is overhead) and the equation of time, the small difference between clock time and sun time that varies by up to about 16 minutes through the year. Solar noon is 720 minutes minus 4 minutes for every degree of longitude east, minus the equation of time, plus your time zone offset. The sun reaches the horizon when its hour angle satisfies cos(HA) = cos(90.833 degrees) / (cos(latitude) x cos(declination)) minus tan(latitude) x tan(declination). Sunrise is solar noon minus 4 minutes per degree of HA, and sunset is solar noon plus the same.
For London on 21 June 2026 the sun's hour angle at sunrise is about 125 degrees, so the day is about 16 hours 38 minutes long, with sunrise at 04:45 and sunset at 21:23 in British Summer Time. On 21 December the day is only 7 hours 50 minutes.
| City | 21 June (daylight) | 21 December (daylight) |
|---|---|---|
| Reykjavik | 21 h 01 min | 4 h 12 min |
| London | 16 h 38 min | 7 h 50 min |
| New York | 15 h 05 min | 9 h 16 min |
| Tashkent | 15 h 09 min | 9 h 12 min |
| Dubai | 13 h 43 min | 10 h 34 min |
| Singapore | 12 h 12 min | 12 h 03 min |
| Sydney | 9 h 54 min | 14 h 25 min |
Twilight, golden hour and blue hour explained
Twilight is defined by the sun's angle below the horizon. In civil twilight, up to 6 degrees below, there is enough light for most outdoor activity and the brightest stars and planets appear. In nautical twilight, 6 to 12 degrees, the horizon is still visible at sea. In astronomical twilight, 12 to 18 degrees, the sky is nearly dark, and beyond 18 degrees it is full night. Photographers use the golden hour, with the sun roughly between 4 degrees below and 6 degrees above the horizon, for soft warm light, and the blue hour just before sunrise and after sunset for deep blue skies. Far from the equator in summer, twilight can last all night, and the astronomical twilight row shows none.
Practical uses
- Travel planning: know how much daylight you will have for sightseeing and driving.
- Photography: plan golden hour and blue hour shoots.
- Hiking and camping: plan to be off the trail before sunset.
- Gardening and solar energy: see how day length changes through the year.
- Sleep and jet lag: time light exposure to your new time zone.
- Astronomy: find when the sky gets dark.
Understanding the sunrise and sunset results
Solar noon is when the sun is highest and due south in the northern hemisphere (due north in the southern), but it is almost never at 12:00 on the clock. In London on 21 June 2026 it happens at 13:04 British Summer Time, which is 12:04 Greenwich Mean Time. In Tashkent, a long way east of the centre of its time zone, solar noon on the same date is at about 12:25. The gap comes from your longitude within the time zone, daylight saving time and the equation of time.
Another point is that the longest day is not the day with the earliest sunrise or latest sunset. Around the solstice the earliest sunrise comes a week or so before the solstice and the latest sunset a week or so after, because of the equation of time. Also, sunrise is not the same as the start of usable light: civil twilight begins when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, which in London in June is almost 50 minutes before sunrise. At high latitudes in summer, twilight can last all night, and the tool reports polar day or night when the sun does not set or rise.
Limits and privacy
The calculator uses a standard model and does not know about mountains, buildings, clouds, elevation or local conditions. Near the poles the equations are less accurate. For safety-critical work such as navigation or aviation, use official almanacs. Your location and date are processed in your browser and never uploaded.
Related free tools
Use these free online tools together with this one:
- Time your light exposure after a long flight with the jet lag calculator.
- Work out when you will land with the flight time calculator.
- Use today's sunrise and sunset for the day's hours with the planetary hours calculator.
- See how bright the night will be with the moon phase calculator.
- Plan your sleep around the daylight with the sleep cycle calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How does the sunrise and sunset calculator work?
It uses the NOAA solar equations. From the date it finds the sun's declination and the equation of time, then the time of solar noon for your longitude, and the hour angle at which the sun reaches the horizon for your latitude. Sunrise and sunset are solar noon minus and plus that angle, at four minutes per degree.
How accurate are the times?
Generally within about a minute for latitudes up to about 65 degrees. Accuracy falls near the poles, and local terrain, elevation and weather can shift the visible times.
What counts as sunrise and sunset?
The moment the upper edge of the sun appears or disappears at the horizon, allowing for atmospheric refraction. This corresponds to the sun's centre being 0.833 degrees below the horizon.
What is civil, nautical and astronomical twilight?
Twilight stages when the sun is 0 to 6, 6 to 12 and 12 to 18 degrees below the horizon. Civil twilight is bright enough for most outdoor activity, and astronomical twilight ends when the sky is fully dark.
What is the golden hour?
The period after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is low and the light is warm, popular with photographers. The tool uses the sun between 6 degrees above and 4 degrees below the horizon, a common definition.
What is the blue hour?
The twilight period when the sun is between about 4 and 8 degrees below the horizon and the sky has a deep blue tone. The tool shows the morning and evening periods.
What is solar noon?
The moment the sun is highest in the sky. It is rarely exactly at 12:00 because of your position in the time zone, daylight saving time and the equation of time.
Why does day length change from day to day?
The Earth's axis is tilted, so the sun's path changes over the year. Day length changes fastest around the equinoxes and barely at all near the solstices.
Which day has the most daylight?
Around 21 June in the northern hemisphere and 21 December in the southern. The Year tab finds the longest and shortest day for your location.
What are polar day and polar night?
Beyond roughly 66.5 degrees latitude, the sun can stay above the horizon all day in summer or stay below it all day in winter. The tool says so when it happens.
Can I enter any location?
Yes. Choose from 114 cities and airports, or type latitude and longitude. For custom coordinates, enter the UTC offset for the date, including daylight saving time.
How is daylight saving time handled?
For cities in the list, the tool looks up the local UTC offset for your date using the time zone database. For custom coordinates, enter the offset yourself.
What do the sun path and slider show?
A curve of the sun's height above the horizon through the day, with the sunrise and sunset marked. Drag the slider to see the elevation and compass bearing at any time.
Why do two sites show slightly different times?
Different sites use slightly different definitions, refraction models, elevations or rounding, so results can differ by a minute or two.
Does elevation change sunrise time?
Yes, slightly. At a mountain top or on a tall building you see a lower horizon, so the sun appears sooner and sets later. The tool assumes sea level.
Is my location stored or sent anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
Is this sunrise and sunset calculator free?
Yes. It is free to use online with no sign-up.
Sources and further reading
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA Solar Calculator.
- U.S. Naval Observatory, Sun and Moon Data for One Day.
- Jean Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms (reference).
- Wikipedia, Equation of time.
Sources were consulted in October 2026. Standards and rules can change, so always check the official page for your situation.