How is sunrise defined?

As the moment the top edge of the sun appears on the horizon, using a zenith angle of 90°50′. That includes the sun's apparent width plus atmospheric refraction.

Why is the day slightly longer than twelve hours at the equinox?

Because of refraction and the sun's disc. The upper limb appears before the centre rises, adding a few minutes at both ends.

Does the tool handle polar day and night?

Yes. Inside the polar circles the tool reports 24-hour daylight or 24-hour darkness instead of returning a meaningless time.

Why is my result a few minutes different from another site?

Refraction and the exact zenith convention vary between sources. A difference of one to three minutes is normal and within the accuracy of a low-precision solar algorithm.

Does daylight saving affect the result?

Only the displayed clock time. The tool detects the location’s IANA timezone and applies the daylight-saving rules for the selected date.

Can I calculate for a future date?

Yes, any date. The algorithm depends on the Earth's orbit, which is predictable far into the future and past.

Why does the sun rise later in the west of a timezone?

Because the whole zone keeps the same clock while the sun arrives at different local solar times. In a wide zone the difference between east and west can exceed an hour.

The moment the sun reaches its highest point for that day. It is usually not 12:00 on the clock, because of the offset, the equation of time, and your longitude within the zone.

How accurate is this?

These are approximate SunCalc times for a level horizon. Terrain, elevation and atmospheric conditions can shift observations; uncertainty grows near the poles.

Can I get the times for several days at once?

This page shows one date at a time. Step through dates with the buttons above the map.

Sunrise and Sunset Calculator

Quick answer: Pick a date and a place to get sunrise, sunset, solar noon and day length. Click the map to move the location; polar day and night are reported correctly rather than as an error.

How to use sunrise & sunset calculator

Choose a city using Find, use a sample city, or click the map.
Choose a calendar date. The location’s time zone and daylight-saving rules are applied automatically.
Read sunrise and sunset first; expand twilight for civil, nautical and astronomical events. Copy the results or a link to this date.

Worked example

Input: London, 21 June 2026, Europe/London
Expected result: Sunrise about 04:43; sunset about 21:21 BST; daylight about 16 h 38 min.

London uses UTC+1 in June. Treating its near-zero longitude as UTC would make the clock times an hour early.

Calculation method and accuracy

SunCalc computes solar events from latitude, longitude and date. Sunrise and sunset use the conventional solar-disc/refraction threshold near −0.833°. Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight use −6°, −12° and −18°. IANA time-zone rules format the resulting instants in the selected place’s local clock.

Common mistakes and edge cases

A hill, building or elevated sea horizon can change when the Sun becomes visible; model event times assume an unobstructed horizon.
In polar day or polar night, a rise or set may not occur. “No event on this date” is different from midnight.
Changing the date can change the UTC offset. Always include the location and date when sharing a time.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by GeoDataViewer · 2026-09-22. Examples are rounded; the interactive result uses your selected inputs.

What the calculation includes

Sunrise and sunset are defined as the moment the upper limb of the sun touches the horizon, which the standard convention puts at a solar zenith of 90°50′. That accounts for the sun's disc having width and for about half a degree of atmospheric refraction lifting it into view.

This is why sunrise on the equinox happens a few minutes before the moment the sun's centre crosses the horizon, and why day length at the equator on an equinox is slightly over twelve hours rather than exactly twelve.

Day length changes fastest at the equinoxes

The rate at which the day lengthens or shortens depends on your latitude and the time of year. Near the equinoxes it changes quickest; at the solstices it briefly levels off. At high latitudes the swing is extreme, which is what produces the midnight sun.

Why the timezone matters

A sunrise time means nothing without an offset attached. The tool looks up an IANA timezone from the selected coordinates and applies its rules for that date, including daylight saving. The timezone is printed beside the date controls.

Limitations to keep in mind

The calculation is geometric, using a standard atmospheric refraction model and a spherical Earth. Local terrain is not considered, so in a valley or behind a mountain the real sunrise can be substantially later than the figure here.

Related tools

Sun positionWhere the sun is right now: elevation and azimuth.
Moon phase calendarPhase and illumination for any date.
Moon positionWhere the moon is overhead right now.
Day and night mapThe live day/night terminator.
Time zone mapCompare local times around the world.

Frequently asked questions

How is sunrise defined?: As the moment the top edge of the sun appears on the horizon, using a zenith angle of 90°50′. That includes the sun's apparent width plus atmospheric refraction.
Why is the day slightly longer than twelve hours at the equinox?: Because of refraction and the sun's disc. The upper limb appears before the centre rises, adding a few minutes at both ends.
Does the tool handle polar day and night?: Yes. Inside the polar circles the tool reports 24-hour daylight or 24-hour darkness instead of returning a meaningless time.
Why is my result a few minutes different from another site?: Refraction and the exact zenith convention vary between sources. A difference of one to three minutes is normal and within the accuracy of a low-precision solar algorithm.
Does daylight saving affect the result?: Only the displayed clock time. The tool detects the location’s IANA timezone and applies the daylight-saving rules for the selected date.
Can I calculate for a future date?: Yes, any date. The algorithm depends on the Earth's orbit, which is predictable far into the future and past.
Why does the sun rise later in the west of a timezone?: Because the whole zone keeps the same clock while the sun arrives at different local solar times. In a wide zone the difference between east and west can exceed an hour.
What is solar noon?: The moment the sun reaches its highest point for that day. It is usually not 12:00 on the clock, because of the offset, the equation of time, and your longitude within the zone.
How accurate is this?: These are approximate SunCalc times for a level horizon. Terrain, elevation and atmospheric conditions can shift observations; uncertainty grows near the poles.
Can I get the times for several days at once?: This page shows one date at a time. Step through dates with the buttons above the map.