Sunrise & Sunset Times
Exact solar times for any city worldwide — updated daily, DST-aware.
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About Sunrise and Sunset Times
Sunrise and sunset times vary every day based on your location's latitude, longitude, and the time of year. Near the equator, sunrise and sunset times are relatively consistent year-round — typically within 30 minutes of 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. But at higher latitudes like Scandinavia or Alaska, day length can range from nearly 24 hours of daylight in summer (midnight sun) to fewer than 6 hours of daylight in winter.
This tool calculates solar times using the NOAA Solar Calculator algorithm, which provides accuracy within one minute for locations between 72°N and 72°S latitude for dates between 1901 and 2099. All times shown are local times for the selected city, accounting for the city's time zone and any daylight saving time currently in effect.
Types of Twilight
Civil Twilight
Sun is 0°–6° below the horizon. Enough light for outdoor activities without artificial lighting. Occurs just before sunrise and just after sunset.
Nautical Twilight
Sun is 6°–12° below the horizon. The horizon is faintly visible at sea. Sky is too dark for most activities but historically used for celestial navigation.
Astronomical Twilight
Sun is 12°–18° below the horizon. The sky is nearly fully dark. This is when amateur astronomers can begin most observations.
Why Sunrise Times Differ by City
Even two cities in the same time zone can have significantly different sunrise and sunset times if they are at different latitudes. For example, London and Lisbon are both on GMT/WET time but Lisbon is nearly 6° further south, meaning it gets about 30 more minutes of morning light than London in winter.
Longitude also affects the relationship between solar time and clock time. Cities at the eastern edge of a time zone experience sunrise earlier in clock time than cities at the western edge, because the sun rises earlier when moving east. China uses a single time zone (UTC+8) for its entire territory, causing cities in western China like Urumqi to experience sunrise as late as 9:30 AM clock time despite being at the same nominal time as Shanghai.
Sunrise & Sunset — Frequently Asked Questions
Civil twilight is the period when the sun is between 0° and 6° below the horizon. During this time there is enough natural light for most outdoor activities without artificial lighting. It occurs just before sunrise (morning civil twilight) and just after sunset (evening civil twilight).
Nautical twilight occurs when the sun is between 6° and 12° below the horizon. The horizon is still visible at sea but the sky is too dark for most land activities. Historically used by sailors to navigate by the stars while still seeing the horizon.
Day length varies because the Earth is tilted on its axis at approximately 23.5°. As the Earth orbits the sun, different hemispheres are tilted toward or away from the sun. Near the summer solstice (around June 21), the northern hemisphere has its longest day. Near the winter solstice (around December 21), the shortest day occurs.
Solar noon is the moment when the sun is at its highest point in the sky — directly south in the northern hemisphere and directly north in the southern hemisphere. It is not always 12:00 PM clock time because clocks are set to time zones that span 15° of longitude, and because of the Equation of Time.
Yes. Sunrise and sunset times vary with both latitude and longitude. Sites closer to the equator have more consistent day lengths year-round, while polar regions experience extreme variation — including midnight sun (24-hour daylight) in summer and polar night in winter.
The Equation of Time is the difference between solar time (based on the sun's actual position) and clock time (based on the mean solar day). It can vary by up to ±16 minutes throughout the year, causing apparent solar noon to shift relative to 12:00 PM clock time.