Sunrise & Sunset Calculator
Find accurate sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk, and twilight times for any location worldwide. Plan your day with precision solar data.
Enter a city, zip code, or GPS coordinates below and select your date to get started.
How to Use the Sunrise & Sunset Calculator
Getting accurate sun times for any location takes just a few simple steps. Here's how to make the most of this tool.
1. Enter Your Location
Type any city name (e.g. "Paris"), a zip code (e.g. "90210"), or GPS coordinates (e.g. "40.7128, -74.0060"). You can also tap the location button to use your device's GPS for instant results.
2. Pick a Date
The calculator defaults to today's date, but you can select any date — past or future. This is helpful for planning trips, outdoor events, photography sessions, or checking historical daylight data.
3. View & Share Results
Instantly see sunrise, sunset, solar noon, day length, and all three twilight phases. Share the results via the share button — the link preserves your location and date selection.
Understanding Twilight: The Three Phases Explained
Twilight is the period between full daylight and complete darkness. Astronomers and meteorologists divide it into three distinct phases based on the sun's angle below the horizon.
Civil Twilight (Sun 0° – 6° below horizon)
Civil twilight is the brightest phase and the one most relevant to everyday life. During this period, there is generally enough natural light to carry out most outdoor activities without artificial lighting. The horizon is clearly defined, and objects on the ground are easily distinguishable.
Practical use: In many countries, vehicle headlights are legally required to be switched on at the end of civil twilight. Pilots also use civil twilight to determine when they need instrument-rated flying conditions. For photographers, civil twilight offers soft, diffused lighting that is ideal for portraits and cityscapes.
Nautical Twilight (Sun 6° – 12° below horizon)
Named for its importance to sailors, nautical twilight is when the horizon at sea becomes difficult to distinguish but is still faintly visible. During this phase, navigators can take reliable readings of well-known stars against the still-visible horizon — a technique called celestial navigation that has been used for centuries.
Practical use: The U.S. Navy and maritime organizations worldwide use nautical twilight as a reference for navigation timing. For the general public, this is when streetlights typically switch on. Photographers know this as the "blue hour" — the sky takes on deep blue and violet tones that create dramatic, moody images.
Astronomical Twilight (Sun 12° – 18° below horizon)
During astronomical twilight, the sky appears nearly completely dark to the naked eye. However, faint traces of sunlight still scatter through the upper atmosphere, which can interfere with observations of the faintest celestial objects like distant galaxies and nebulae.
Practical use: Amateur and professional astronomers track astronomical twilight carefully. True "astronomical night" only begins once the sun drops below 18° — and that's when the darkest skies are available for deep-sky astrophotography and telescope observations. Near the summer solstice at high latitudes (above ~50°N), astronomical twilight may last all night, meaning the sky never becomes fully dark.
Golden Hour & Blue Hour: A Photographer's Guide
The quality of natural light changes dramatically around sunrise and sunset. Understanding these windows of light can transform your photography, filmmaking, and outdoor planning.
The Golden Hour
The golden hour is roughly the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset. During this time, sunlight travels through more of the Earth's atmosphere, scattering shorter blue wavelengths and letting warm reds, oranges, and yellows dominate.
This produces soft, directional light with long shadows that add depth and dimension to photographs. Skin tones look naturally warm and flattering, landscapes glow with rich color, and even mundane subjects can look magical.
💡 Tip: Use this calculator to find sunrise/sunset times, then plan to arrive 15-20 minutes early. The best golden hour light often occurs before the sun actually touches the horizon.
The Blue Hour
The blue hour occurs during nautical twilight — roughly 20-40 minutes after sunset or before sunrise. The sky takes on deep blue, indigo, and violet hues because the sun is far enough below the horizon that only short-wavelength blue light is scattered by the upper atmosphere.
City skylines look stunning during blue hour because artificial lights are on while the sky still has color. It's also the perfect time for moody landscape photography, long-exposure shots of traffic trails, and architectural photography.
💡 Tip: Check the nautical twilight times in your results to find the blue hour window. Bring a tripod — you'll need longer exposures as light levels drop quickly.
Why Do Sunrise and Sunset Times Change?
If you've ever noticed that summer days are much longer than winter days, or that a tropical vacation has surprisingly consistent daylight, there's fascinating science behind it.
Earth's Axial Tilt (23.5°)
The primary reason sunrise and sunset times change throughout the year is Earth's axial tilt of approximately 23.5 degrees. As Earth orbits the Sun, this tilt causes different hemispheres to receive more or less direct sunlight. During the summer solstice (around June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere), the North Pole is tilted toward the Sun, resulting in the longest day. Six months later, at the winter solstice (around December 21), the opposite is true, producing the shortest day.
Latitude Matters
Your latitude has a dramatic effect on how much daylight you experience. At the equator, day length stays remarkably consistent year-round — roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. But at higher latitudes, the difference between summer and winter daylight is extreme. In Fairbanks, Alaska (64°N), summer days can have over 21 hours of sunlight, while winter days may only see 3-4 hours. Above the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't set at all during the "midnight sun" period.
The Equation of Time
Even beyond seasonal changes, sunrise and sunset don't shift at a perfectly even rate. The "equation of time" accounts for two factors: Earth's elliptical orbit (we move faster when closer to the Sun in January) and the tilt of our axis. These combined effects mean that the earliest sunset in winter doesn't fall on the shortest day — it actually occurs about two weeks before the winter solstice. Similarly, the latest sunrise happens about two weeks after. This often surprises people who assume the shortest day has both the latest sunrise and earliest sunset.
Atmospheric Refraction
You can actually see the sun for a couple of minutes after it has geometrically dropped below the horizon. Earth's atmosphere bends (refracts) sunlight, lifting the sun's apparent position by about 0.57°. This means sunrise occurs slightly earlier and sunset slightly later than pure geometry would predict, adding approximately 6-8 extra minutes of visible sunlight each day at mid-latitudes. Our calculator accounts for this refraction to give you the most accurate times.
Who Uses Sunrise & Sunset Data?
Sun times aren't just for curiosity — they serve critical roles across many professions and hobbies.
Photographers & Filmmakers
Professional and hobbyist photographers plan entire shoots around golden hour and blue hour timing. Wedding photographers, in particular, need precise sunset times to capture those iconic backlit couple portraits.
Hikers & Outdoor Enthusiasts
Knowing when daylight starts and ends is essential for planning safe hikes. Trail conditions, navigation difficulty, and exposure risks all change dramatically once the sun goes down.
Travelers & Trip Planners
When visiting a new destination, knowing sunrise and sunset times helps you maximize sightseeing hours, plan dinner reservations around sunset views, and understand jet lag effects on your body clock.
Astronomers & Stargazers
Astronomy sessions depend on knowing exactly when astronomical twilight ends. Our calculator provides all three twilight phases so you know precisely when the sky will be dark enough for deep-sky observation.
Gardeners & Farmers
Day length directly affects plant growth cycles, flowering times, and harvest schedules. Many plants are photoperiodic — they bloom based on the ratio of daylight to darkness hours.
Religious Observance
Several religious traditions tie prayer times, fasting periods, and observances to sunrise and sunset. Accurate times are essential for Shabbat, Islamic prayer schedules, and other sun-dependent practices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about sunrise times, sunset times, twilight phases, and how to use this calculator.