Sunrise and Sunset Calculator — Plan Your Day Around the Sun

Golden hour lasts about 45 minutes after sunrise and before sunset — and it moves every single day. If you're driving 90 minutes to a landscape location, you need to know exactly when to arrive. The sunrise and sunset calculator takes the guesswork out of lighting windows.

Get precise times for any location and date at CalcHub.

Types of Twilight

Twilight isn't binary — there are distinct phases as the Sun moves below the horizon, each with different light quality and different uses.

Twilight Phase	Sun Below Horizon	Light Quality	Best For
Civil twilight	0°–6°	Soft, colorful	Most outdoor activities
Golden hour	~0°–4°	Warm, directional	Photography, filming
Nautical twilight	6°–12°	Dim, horizon visible	Navigation, star identification
Astronomical twilight	12°–18°	Very dim	Telescope observations begin
True night	18°+	Full darkness	Deep sky astronomy

How to Use the Calculator

1. Enter your location (city, coordinates, or use GPS)
2. Enter the date
3. Get sunrise time, sunset time, golden hours (morning and evening), and all twilight phases

The CalcHub calculator also shows solar noon — when the Sun is at its highest — and day length.

Seasonal Variation

Sunrise and sunset times change dramatically by latitude and season. At the equator, day length stays near 12 hours year-round. At 60° north latitude (Oslo, Helsinki), midsummer gives 18+ hours of daylight while midwinter brings fewer than 6 hours. At the Arctic Circle, the Sun doesn't set at all around summer solstice (midnight sun) and doesn't rise around winter solstice (polar night).

Location	Latitude	Jun 21 Day Length	Dec 21 Day Length
Singapore	1.3°N	12h 8m	11h 56m
London, UK	51.5°N	16h 38m	7h 50m
Oslo, Norway	59.9°N	18h 50m	5h 53m
Reykjavik, Iceland	64°N	21h 8m	4h 7m
Arctic Circle	66.5°N	24h (midnight sun)	0h (polar night)

Photography Planning

Morning golden hour: The light is similar to evening golden hour but typically quieter — fewer people, dew on subjects, cooler air. Worth the early alarm. Blue hour: The 20–30 minutes just after sunset (or before sunrise) when the sky turns deep blue and artificial lights balance with natural light. City skylines, illuminated buildings, and waterside scenes photograph beautifully in blue hour. Astronomical twilight end: When the sky finally gets dark enough for Milky Way photography. At mid-latitudes in summer, astronomical twilight might not fully end until 11pm or later.

Does altitude affect sunrise and sunset times?

Yes, slightly. At altitude you see the Sun's horizon before lower-lying areas — the horizon itself is further away from your elevated position. Professional calculations can account for this, but for most practical purposes the difference is minor (a few minutes at most mountain elevations).

Why does the day length change more dramatically at higher latitudes?

Earth's axial tilt (23.5°) means high-latitude locations swing dramatically between pointing toward and away from the Sun through the year. Near the equator, this tilt makes little difference to day length since you're always roughly at right angles to the Earth-Sun axis. At high latitudes, the geometry amplifies the seasonal effect dramatically.

How do I find golden hour for a specific composition?

Golden hour time tells you when, but not where the light will fall. For landscape work, you also need to know the Sun's azimuth (compass direction) at that time to predict which way shadows will fall and whether your subject will be lit, backlit, or in shadow. The calculator shows solar azimuth alongside sunrise/sunset times.

Related Calculators

• Moon Phase Calculator — plan around lunar light interference
• UV Index Calculator — Sun safety during outdoor shoots
• Telescope Magnification Calculator — plan observing sessions after dark