Sunrise and sunset times
What time is sunset tonight, and when does the sun come up? Pick any place and date for sunrise, sunset, day length and every stage of twilight, in local time.
40.7494°, -73.9819° · America/New York
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Why days get longer and shorter
The Earth’s axis is tilted 23.44°. As it orbits, the latitude where the Sun is overhead (the declination) swings between the Tropic of Cancer in June and the Tropic of Capricorn in December. The hemisphere tilted toward the Sun sees more than half of each circle of latitude lit, so its days are longer than 12 hours. On the equinoxes the dividing line between day and night runs through both poles and everyone gets roughly 12 hours.
Side view: lit half on the left. The magenta line is your latitude; the more of it lies in the light, the longer the day.
Day length across the year at this latitude (Jan → Dec)
For hands-on lessons in how things work, ahaboo lets you drag the Moon around Earth to see why it shows phases.
Sunrise, sunset and the three twilights
Astronomers define the stages of the day by how far the Sun’s centre is below the horizon:
- Sunrise / sunset: upper edge of the Sun on the horizon (centre at −0.833°).
- Civil twilight (0° to −6°): bright enough to read outdoors; the brightest planets appear.
- Nautical twilight (−6° to −12°): the horizon is still visible at sea, so sailors could take star sightings.
- Astronomical twilight (−12° to −18°): the sky looks dark but faint galaxies are still washed out.
Photographers care about a different band: the golden hour and blue hour.
Solar noon is only near 12:00 if you are close to your time zone’s central meridian. Madrid, on Central European Time but west of Greenwich, sees solar noon around 14:15 in summer. The time zone converter explains why.
Sunrise and sunset in popular cities
Frequently asked questions
How are sunrise and sunset times calculated?
From the Sun’s position using the astronomical algorithms published by Jean Meeus and used by NOAA’s solar calculator. Sunrise and sunset are the moments the top edge of the Sun touches the horizon, which is when the Sun’s centre is 0.833° below it (allowing for its radius and atmospheric refraction).
How accurate are these times?
Typically within a minute for flat, sea-level horizons. Mountains, tall buildings, elevation and unusual atmospheric conditions can shift what you actually see by a few minutes.
What is civil twilight?
The period when the Sun is between 0° and 6° below the horizon. There is enough light for most outdoor activities without artificial lighting. Civil dawn is often called first light and civil dusk last light.
What is solar noon?
The moment the Sun is highest in the sky and due south (in the Northern Hemisphere) or due north (in the Southern). It is rarely exactly 12:00 because of your position inside the time zone, daylight saving time and the equation of time.
Why is the earliest sunset not on the shortest day?
Because solar noon drifts through the year (the equation of time). In mid-northern latitudes the earliest sunset comes in early-to-mid December and the latest sunrise in early January, either side of the December solstice.
What happens near the poles?
Above the Arctic or Antarctic Circle the Sun can stay up for 24 hours in summer (midnight sun) or not rise at all in winter (polar night). The calculator shows this instead of a sunrise time.