Calculate sunrise and sunset times from latitude, longitude, and date using solar position formulas. Plan photography and outdoor activities.
Knowing sunrise and sunset times is invaluable for travelers planning outdoor activities, photography, hiking, or simply wanting to make the most of daylight hours at a destination. Sunrise and sunset times vary significantly by latitude, longitude, and time of year.
This calculator uses simplified solar position equations to estimate sunrise and sunset times based on latitude, longitude, and the day of the year. While not as precise as astronomical almanacs, it provides a good approximation (typically within 5–10 minutes) for travel planning purposes.
Photographers chase the "golden hour" around sunrise and sunset. Hikers need to know how much daylight they have. Beachgoers want to catch the sunset. Whatever your reason, knowing these times for your travel destination helps plan better days. Whether you are a beginner or experienced professional, this free online tool provides instant, reliable results without manual computation. By automating the calculation, you save time and reduce the risk of costly errors in your planning and decision-making process.
Different destinations have dramatically different sunrise/sunset times depending on latitude and season. This calculator gives you accurate estimates for any location and date, helping you plan activities around available daylight. Having a precise figure at your fingertips empowers better planning and more confident decisions. Manual calculations are error-prone and time-consuming; this tool delivers verified results in seconds so you can focus on strategy.
Solar Declination δ = 23.45° × sin(360/365 × (284 + day)) Hour Angle = arccos(−tan(lat) × tan(δ)) Sunrise = 12:00 − HourAngle/15 − longitude/15 + timezone Sunset = 12:00 + HourAngle/15 − longitude/15 + timezone
Result: Sunrise: ~5:25 AM, Sunset: ~8:31 PM
New York City (40.7°N, 74°W) on June 21st (day 172). Near the summer solstice, NYC gets about 15 hours of daylight with an early sunrise and late sunset.
The sun's position is determined by Earth's orbital position (day of year) and the observer's location (latitude/longitude). Solar declination changes throughout the year as Earth orbits the sun, ranging from +23.45° at summer solstice to −23.45° at winter solstice.
The best light for photography occurs during golden hour (first/last hour of sunlight) and blue hour (30 minutes before sunrise / after sunset). Knowing exact sunrise/sunset times at your destination lets you plan shoots for optimal conditions.
At the equator: ~12 hours year-round. At 40° latitude: 9–15 hours. At 60°: 6–18 hours. At the Arctic Circle: 0–24 hours. This dramatic variation significantly affects travel planning, especially for outdoor activities.
This simplified solar calculator is accurate to within 5–10 minutes for most locations and dates. For precise times, use a dedicated astronomical almanac. The approximation is excellent for travel planning purposes.
Earth's tilted axis means different latitudes receive different amounts of sunlight throughout the year. Higher latitudes have more extreme seasonal variation. Longitude determines where you are within your time zone, shifting times by minutes.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice (June 20–21) has the longest daylight. In the Southern Hemisphere, it's December 21–22. Near the equator, day length varies only about 30 minutes throughout the year.
Yes. If you're in a valley surrounded by mountains, the visible sunrise is later and sunset earlier than the calculated times. Conversely, being on a mountain peak extends your visible daylight.
Above the Arctic Circle (66.5°N) and below the Antarctic Circle (66.5°S), there are periods of 24-hour daylight (midnight sun) and 24-hour darkness (polar night). The calculator will show this as no sunrise or sunset.
Yes. DST shifts all clock times by 1 hour. If your destination observes DST, adjust the timezone offset accordingly. For example, US Eastern is UTC-5 in winter (EST) and UTC-4 in summer (EDT).