Sunrise and sunset times depend on three factors: your geographic latitude, your longitude, and the date. Latitude determines how high the Sun climbs in the sky and how long it stays above the horizon. Longitude determines your local time offset from the Sun's position. The date determines the Sun's declination — its angular distance north or south of the celestial equator — which changes throughout the year as Earth orbits the Sun.
At the equinoxes (around March 20 and September 22), the Sun rises due east and sets due west everywhere on Earth, and day and night are approximately equal in length. At the summer solstice, the Sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest from northern latitudes, producing the longest day of the year. At the winter solstice, the reverse occurs.
Enter your latitude and longitude in decimal degrees. Positive latitude values are north, negative are south. Positive longitude values are east of the prime meridian, negative are west. Select the date and click "Calculate Solar Times." The tool returns:
Golden hour refers to the period shortly after sunrise and before sunset when the Sun is low on the horizon. During this time, sunlight travels through a greater thickness of atmosphere, scattering blue wavelengths and leaving warm orange and red tones. Shadows are long and soft, and the quality of light is considered ideal for photography.
The tool calculates golden hour as the period when the Sun is between 0° and 6° above the horizon. This is an approximation — the actual quality of light depends on atmospheric conditions, cloud cover, and local terrain. In practice, the best light often occurs in the 30–45 minutes around sunrise and sunset.
Solar noon is when the Sun crosses the meridian — the imaginary line running from north to south through your zenith. At solar noon, the Sun is at its highest altitude for the day, shadows are shortest, and the Sun is due south (from northern latitudes) or due north (from southern latitudes). Solar noon is not necessarily at 12:00 PM clock time; it depends on your longitude within your time zone and whether daylight saving time is in effect.
For astronomers, solar noon is useful for calibrating sundials, aligning telescopes, and understanding the Sun's daily arc across the sky.
At latitudes above approximately 66.5° (the Arctic and Antarctic circles), the Sun can remain above the horizon for 24 hours (midnight sun) or below the horizon for 24 hours (polar night) around the solstices. The tool will indicate these conditions when they apply to your entered latitude and date. During polar night, there is no sunrise or sunset. During midnight sun, the Sun never sets.
Knowing the exact sunset time helps you plan when astronomical twilight ends and true darkness begins. Astronomical twilight ends when the Sun is 18° below the horizon — typically 60–90 minutes after sunset depending on latitude and season. The Sunrise & Sunset Calculator gives you the sunset time as a starting reference for planning your observation window.
Photographers use golden hour times to plan shoots. The morning golden hour is often less crowded and features dew, mist, and cooler colors. The evening golden hour tends to be warmer in tone. Knowing the exact times allows you to arrive at your location with enough time to set up before the light peaks.
Daylight duration data is useful for estimating solar panel output across different seasons and latitudes. The tool's daylight percentage gives a quick sense of how much of the day is available for solar generation.
Solar declination is the angle between the Sun and the celestial equator. It ranges from +23.44° at the summer solstice to -23.44° at the winter solstice, passing through 0° at the equinoxes. The declination value shown in the tool tells you the Sun's current position relative to the equator, which directly determines how high it climbs in the sky from your latitude and how long it stays above the horizon.