Solar Utility
World Sun & Golden Hour Calculator
Accurate sunrise, sunset, solar noon and golden hour times for any city and date — built on the NOAA solar position algorithm.
Day length
18.0 hrs
51.51°, -0.13°
Solar schedule — London
All times shown in London local time.
Astronomical dawn
Sky begins to lighten
03:02
Sunrise
Sun crosses the horizon
04:05
Morning golden hour ends
Sun reaches 6° altitude
05:08
Solar noon
Sun at its highest point
13:06
Evening golden hour starts
Sun drops to 6° altitude
21:03
Sunset
Sun crosses the horizon
22:06
Civil dusk
Sky fully dark
23:09
Morning golden hour
04:05 – 05:08
Evening golden hour
21:03 – 22:06
Understanding sunrise, sunset and the golden hour
The sun's daily path across the sky is one of the most predictable phenomena in nature, yet the exact moments of sunrise, sunset and golden hour shift every single day and differ for every point on Earth. The World Sun & Golden Hour Calculator turns that geometry into a simple schedule: choose a city and a date, and it returns the precise local clock times for each phase of daylight.
These times matter far beyond photography. Architects use solar angles to design shading, farmers time irrigation and harvests around daylight, solar installers size systems against day length, and religious traditions from Judaism to Islam anchor daily practice to sunrise and sunset. A reliable calculator serves all of them.
The astronomy behind the calculation
Earth tilts on its axis by about 23.44° and orbits the sun once per year. This tilt is the reason we have seasons and the reason day length changes through the year. The calculator models the sun's position using the NOAA solar position algorithm, which computes the sun's declination (its latitude relative to Earth's equatorial plane) and the equation of time (the small offset between clock noon and solar noon) for the selected date.
From the sun's declination and your latitude, the algorithm derives the hour angle — how far the sun must travel east or west to reach a given altitude. Sunrise and sunset correspond to an apparent altitude of -0.833° (accounting for atmospheric refraction and the sun's visible disk). Golden hour boundaries use +6°, and civil twilight uses -6°.
Why -0.833° and not 0°?
Atmospheric refraction bends sunlight upward by about 0.5° near the horizon, and we measure sunrise when the top of the sun's disk appears, not its centre. The combination of refraction plus the sun's roughly 0.27° radius gives the -0.833° standard used worldwide in astronomical tables.
The equation of time
Because Earth's orbit is elliptical and its axis is tilted, the sun does not cross the local meridian at exactly 12:00 clock time every day. The difference can reach about 16 minutes and is captured by the equation of time, which the algorithm applies when computing solar noon.
Golden hour and blue hour for photographers
Photographers chase the golden hour because low sun angle produces long shadows, warm colour temperature and a soft quality of light that flatters almost any subject. The morning golden hour runs from sunrise until the sun reaches about +6° altitude; the evening golden hour mirrors it before sunset. The exact duration depends on latitude and season — near the equator the sun climbs fast and golden hour is brief, while at high latitudes in summer it can last for hours.
Just before sunrise and after sunset lies the blue hour, when the sun is between -6° and -4° below the horizon. The sky takes on a deep blue tone with no hard shadows, ideal for cityscapes and long exposures. This calculator reports civil dawn and civil dusk to help you bracket the blue hour on either side of the day.
How latitude and season change everything
At the equator, day length stays close to 12 hours year-round and the sun rises and sets nearly vertically, so twilight is short. At higher latitudes, the sun's path becomes more oblique: twilight stretches, and day length swings dramatically with the seasons. At the Arctic or Antarctic Circle, the sun can fail to rise or fail to set for weeks around the solstices — a case the algorithm handles by returning the next valid event.
This is why a city like London has 16+ hours of daylight in June but under 8 in December, while Singapore barely changes. The calculator reflects these real geographic differences because it computes from your actual latitude and longitude rather than applying a generic offset.
Practical uses beyond photography
Solar panel owners use sunrise and sunset to estimate production windows and size battery storage. Gardeners use day length to decide when to start seeds, since many plants flower in response to photoperiod. Runners and cyclists plan training around daylight for safety. Event planners schedule outdoor ceremonies to finish before civil dusk so guests are not caught in darkness.
For travellers, knowing the golden hour at a destination is the difference between a generic snapshot and a portfolio shot. Checking times before a trip lets you scout locations and be in position before the light arrives — the single highest-leverage habit in travel photography.
Reading the results correctly
All times returned are in the city's local clock time, including any daylight saving adjustment for the selected date. The day length figure is the elapsed time between sunrise and sunset, not including twilight. If you need UTC times, you can derive them by subtracting the city's offset, but for almost all everyday uses the local display is what you want.
Remember that local obstacles matter: a sunrise time assumes a flat horizon. Mountains, buildings and dense tree cover will delay visible sunrise or hasten effective sunset in your specific spot. Use the calculator's times as the astronomical truth, then adjust for your local terrain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is the golden hour?
The golden hour is the period when the sun sits low on the horizon (between roughly -4° and +6° of altitude), producing warm, soft, directional light prized by photographers and filmmakers. This calculator defines morning golden hour from sunrise until the sun reaches +6°, and evening golden hour from +6° down to sunset.
How accurate are these sunrise and sunset times?
The calculator uses the NOAA solar position algorithm, the same approach used by most astronomical software. Times are typically accurate to within a minute or two for any location on Earth. Tiny variations can come from elevation and atmospheric refraction on extreme days.
Why do times depend on latitude and longitude?
Sunrise and sunset are local phenomena: they depend on where you are on Earth's curved surface relative to the sun. Latitude controls the angle and length of the sun's path; longitude controls the time of day when the sun crosses your meridian. Both are required for an accurate result.
What is the difference between civil dusk and sunset?
Sunset is the moment the upper edge of the sun disappears below the horizon. Civil dusk is when the sun's centre reaches 6° below the horizon — the point at which there is no longer enough light for most outdoor activities without artificial illumination. The period between is called civil twilight.
Does the calculator account for daylight saving time?
Yes. All times are displayed in the city's IANA time zone, which automatically applies any daylight saving rules for the selected date. The underlying solar calculation is done in UTC and then converted to local clock time for display.
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