Sunrise, Sunset & Solar Noon Calculator

What it does

Calculates sunrise, sunset, solar noon and total day length for any date and location you choose — not just today, so you can plan a shoot weeks or months ahead. Runs entirely in your browser using the SunCalc library; your coordinates are never sent anywhere.

What you'll need

• Your location — either tap “Use my location” or enter latitude/longitude manually.
• The date you're planning for.

Steps

1. Set your location.
2. Pick a date — defaults to today.
3. Read sunrise, sunset, solar noon and day length for that date.

Reading the result

Solar noon is when the sun reaches its highest point for the day — not necessarily clock-noon, and it shifts through the year. Day length is simply the time between sunrise and sunset; it's shown separately since the gap between the two isn't always obvious from the times alone, especially near the solstices.

Tips

• Pair this with the Golden & Blue Hour Planner for the same date — sunrise/sunset tells you the boundaries, golden/blue hour tells you the best light within them.
• Times shift meaningfully by latitude and season — always recalculate for your actual date and location rather than reusing a number from a previous shoot.

What are sunrise, sunset and solar noon?

Sunrise and sunset are the moments the sun's upper edge crosses the horizon in the morning and evening. Solar noon is the moment the sun reaches its highest point in the sky that day — not the same as clock-noon, and it drifts by location (longitude) and slightly through the year. Day length is simply the span between sunrise and sunset.

Why photographers use it

These three times are the scaffolding every other light-based plan sits on — golden hour, blue hour, and general shooting light all sit relative to sunrise and sunset, not to a fixed clock time. Knowing them for a specific future date lets you plan travel, permits, and call times around actual daylight instead of guessing from a rough seasonal memory.

Common mistakes

• Assuming sunrise/sunset times stay roughly the same across a region. they shift with both latitude and longitude — two cities in the same country can differ by 20-30 minutes. Always calculate for your actual shooting coordinates, not a nearby city's published times.
• Treating solar noon as 12:00. solar noon rarely lands exactly at clock-noon — time zones are drawn along political boundaries, not solar ones, so solar noon can sit anywhere from roughly 11:30 to 13:30 depending on your longitude within your time zone.
• Forgetting day length changes fastest around the equinoxes. near the solstices, day length barely changes day to day; near the equinoxes (especially at mid-to-high latitudes), it can shift by several minutes per day — recalculate close to your actual shoot date rather than trusting a reading from weeks earlier.

Example settings

FAQ

When is solar noon today where I am?

Tap “Use my location” (or enter your latitude and longitude), leave the date on today, and read the Solar noon time in the results. It is the moment the sun is highest in your sky today, and it is rarely exactly 12:00 because of your position in your time zone, daylight saving time and the equation of time.

How do sunrise and sunset relate to golden hour and blue hour?

Golden hour runs from sunrise until the sun is about 6° above the horizon, and from that point in the evening until sunset. Blue hour is the civil twilight on the other side: from sunset until the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the same span before sunrise. So sunrise and sunset are the boundary between the two.

How long does golden hour last?

It depends on where you are and when. Near the equator the sun climbs and sets steeply, so golden hour can be well under an hour; at higher latitudes, especially in summer, it sets at a shallow angle and golden hour can last much longer. The Golden & Blue Hour Planner gives the exact window for your date and location.

Why does solar noon matter for photography?

It marks the sun's highest point — generally the least flattering, flattest light of the day, and the midpoint between golden hours. Knowing it helps you plan the least useful window of the day, not just the best ones.

Is my location sent anywhere to calculate this?

No — everything runs in your browser using the SunCalc library. Your coordinates are never sent to our servers or anywhere else.

How far in advance can I plan with this?

Any date, past or future — the calculation is purely astronomical, based on the date and your coordinates, so it works identically for next week or next year.

Why do sunrise and sunset use the sun's "upper edge" rather than its centre?

It's the standard convention astronomers and almanacs use, matching what you'd actually observe — the moment any part of the sun becomes visible or fully disappears, not the moment its centre crosses the horizon.