Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour — Complete Guide ()
Sunrise and sunset times are determined by precise astronomical mathematics — the relationship between the Earth's axial tilt, its position in orbit around the Sun, and your geographic coordinates. Our calculator uses the NOAA Solar Position Algorithm, the same equations used by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, and professional astronomy software. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser — no API calls, no data sent anywhere, no limitations.
The single most important factor in determining your sunrise and sunset times is latitude. At the equator (0°), day length is nearly constant at about 12 hours year-round. At 40°N (New York, Madrid, Beijing), day length varies from about 9 hours in December to 15 hours in June. At 60°N (Oslo, St. Petersburg), the variation is extreme — from 6 hours of winter daylight to 19+ hours in summer. Above the Arctic Circle (66.5°N), the sun doesn't rise at all on the winter solstice and never sets on the summer solstice.
What Is Golden Hour?
Golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset when the sun is low in the sky, producing warm, soft, directional light. The technical definition is when the sun is between 0° and 6° above the horizon. During this time, sunlight travels through more of the Earth's atmosphere, scattering the shorter blue wavelengths and allowing the longer red, orange, and golden wavelengths to dominate. The result is the warm, flattering light beloved by photographers, cinematographers, and artists.
Golden hour is not always exactly one hour. In the tropics, where the sun rises and sets steeply, golden hour can last only 20–30 minutes. Near the poles in summer, the sun skims along the horizon for hours, extending the golden light to 2–3 hours or more. Our calculator gives you the precise duration for your specific location and date.
Blue Hour: The Underrated Photography Window
Blue hour occurs just before sunrise and just after sunset, when the sun is between 6° below the horizon and the horizon itself. The sky takes on a deep, saturated blue color that's completely different from — and in many ways more useful for — photography than golden hour. Architecture, cityscapes, and seascape photography look exceptional during blue hour because ambient light is soft and blue, artificial lights are on but not overexposed, and the sky retains texture and color rather than going black.
| Light Period | Sun Altitude | Light Quality | Best For | Duration (mid-latitudes) |
|---|
| Astronomical Twilight | -18° to -12° | Very dark, sky deep blue | Astrophotography, stars | ~30 min |
| Nautical Twilight | -12° to -6° | Dark blue, no direct sun | Seascape, long exposure | ~25 min |
| Blue Hour (Civil Twilight) | -6° to 0° | Rich deep blue | Cities, architecture, water | ~20–30 min |
| Golden Hour | 0° to 6° | Warm gold, soft shadows | Portraits, landscapes, nature | 20–90 min |
| Soft Light | 6° to 20° | Soft, even, minimal shadow | General photography | ~2 hours |
| Harsh Light | Above 20° | Hard shadows, high contrast | Minimal — midday challenge | Most of the day |
📷 Photographer's Tip: The single most powerful habit a photographer can develop is checking the golden hour time for their location the night before a shoot. Arriving 30 minutes before golden hour starts lets you scout, set up, and be ready for the best light. The peak of golden hour is typically within the first 15 minutes after sunrise and the last 15 minutes before sunset — when the colors are most intense and the shadows longest. Set an alarm for 20 minutes before sunrise.
Sunrise & Sunset Times by City ()
| City | Latitude | Winter Solstice Sunrise | Winter Day Length | Summer Solstice Sunrise | Summer Day Length |
|---|
| Reykjavik, Iceland | 64.1°N | 11:22 AM | 4h 07m | 3:04 AM | 21h 08m |
| Oslo, Norway | 59.9°N | 9:18 AM | 5h 53m | 3:53 AM | 18h 49m |
| London, UK | 51.5°N | 8:03 AM | 7h 49m | 4:43 AM | 16h 38m |
| New York, USA | 40.7°N | 7:16 AM | 9h 15m | 5:25 AM | 15h 06m |
| Madrid, Spain | 40.4°N | 8:34 AM | 9h 17m | 6:45 AM | 15h 04m |
| Los Angeles, USA | 34.1°N | 6:57 AM | 9h 53m | 5:42 AM | 14h 26m |
| Cairo, Egypt | 30.0°N | 7:05 AM | 10h 22m | 4:53 AM | 13h 47m |
| Singapore | 1.3°N | 7:04 AM | 12h 07m | 7:00 AM | 12h 16m |
| Sydney, Australia | 33.9°S | 7:00 AM | 14h 24m | 7:01 AM | 9h 53m |
Sunrise & Golden Hour FAQ ()
What time is golden hour today?
Golden hour occurs twice daily — once in the morning starting at sunrise and ending when the sun is about 6° above the horizon, and once in the evening starting when the sun is 6° above the horizon and ending at sunset. The exact times depend entirely on your location (latitude and longitude) and the date. Use the calculator above with your location to get today's precise golden hour times. As a rule of thumb, golden hour starts at sunrise in the morning and lasts roughly 20–60 minutes depending on your latitude and time of year. In the evening it starts 20–60 minutes before sunset.
How long does golden hour last?
Golden hour duration varies significantly by latitude and season. Near the equator, the sun rises and sets steeply, so golden hour lasts only 20–30 minutes. At mid-latitudes (30–50°N or S), golden hour typically lasts 45–75 minutes. Near the poles in summer, the sun travels nearly parallel to the horizon, extending golden hour to 2–4 hours or more. Even within a single location, golden hour is longer in winter (when the sun's path is lower across the sky) than in summer. Our calculator gives the precise duration for your specific location and date.
Why is sunrise and sunset time different every day?
Sunrise and sunset times change every day because of the Earth's axial tilt (23.5°) combined with its elliptical orbit around the Sun. As the Earth orbits, the hemisphere tilted toward the Sun experiences longer days and earlier sunrises, while the hemisphere tilted away experiences shorter days and later sunrises. The rate of change is fastest near the equinoxes (March and September), when day length changes by 2–3 minutes per day at mid-latitudes. Near the solstices (June and December), day length changes by only seconds per day — the "standstill" that gives solstices their name (sol = sun, sistere = to stand still in Latin).
What is solar noon?
Solar noon is the moment when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky for that day — exactly halfway between sunrise and sunset as measured in time, when the sun is due south (in the Northern Hemisphere) or due north (in the Southern Hemisphere). Solar noon is not the same as 12:00 PM clock time because of time zones (which group locations under a single clock time) and the Equation of Time (small variations in the Earth's orbital speed). Solar noon can be as early as 11:44 AM or as late as 12:16 PM clock time depending on your position within your time zone and the time of year. It's the moment of shortest shadows and maximum UV index.
What causes the colors at sunrise and sunset?
The warm orange, red, and gold colors at sunrise and sunset are caused by Rayleigh scattering — the same physics that makes the daytime sky blue. When sunlight travels through the atmosphere, shorter wavelengths (blue and violet) scatter more than longer wavelengths (red, orange, yellow). When the sun is low on the horizon, its light travels through much more atmosphere to reach your eyes, scattering away nearly all the blue light and leaving predominantly the warm long-wavelength colors. Dust, smoke, humidity, and air pollution can enhance these colors by providing more particles to scatter light — which is why sunsets are often more vivid after wildfires or dust storms, and why tropical sunsets tend to be especially colorful near the coasts.
When is the longest and shortest day of the year?
In the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day (summer solstice) occurs around June 20–21 each year, and the shortest day (winter solstice) occurs around December 21–22. In the Southern Hemisphere, these are reversed — the longest day is in December and the shortest in June. The exact date shifts slightly each year due to the 365.25-day solar year vs. our 365-day calendar year. The solstice dates are when the Earth's axial tilt is most directly aligned toward (summer) or away from (winter) the Sun. Use our Sun Calendar tab to generate the exact sunrise and sunset times for every day of the year at your location.
Does altitude affect sunrise and sunset times?
Yes, but the effect is smaller than most people expect. At higher elevations, the horizon is effectively lower relative to you, which means the sun appears to rise slightly earlier and set slightly later than at sea level. At 1,000 meters elevation, this effect is about 1–2 minutes per event. At 3,000 meters (a high mountain summit), sunrise might be 4–5 minutes earlier than the valley below. Our calculator uses sea-level calculations, which are accurate to within a minute or two for most practical purposes. The much larger factor is latitude — moving 100km north or south changes your sunrise time by 3–10 minutes depending on the time of year, while moving 1km higher changes it by less than a minute.
What is the difference between civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight?
The three twilight periods are defined by how far the sun is below the horizon. Civil twilight (blue hour) begins when the sun is 6° below the horizon — enough light to read a newspaper outside, no artificial light needed for most activities. Nautical twilight begins at 12° below — named because sailors could still see the horizon to use a sextant but the sky was dark enough to see navigational stars. Astronomical twilight begins at 18° below — the point at which the sky is dark enough for astronomical observations (there's no longer any sunlight contribution to sky brightness). Our calculator shows all three twilight periods with their start and end times.