Tool
What time is sunrise and sunset?
Sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk and day length for your location and any date.
Showing London as an example — use your location for local times.
Sunrise
05:26
Sunset
20:49
Day length
15h 23m
| Event | Time | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Dawn | 04:46 | Civil twilight begins |
| Sunrise | 05:26 | Sun clears the horizon |
| Solar noon | 13:08 | Sun at its highest |
| Sunset | 20:49 | Sun drops below the horizon |
| Dusk | 21:29 | Civil twilight ends |
Reading the day's light
The length of the day, and the times the sun rises and sets, depend on your latitude and the date. Near the equator days stay close to twelve hours all year; the further you go towards the poles, the more they stretch and shrink with the seasons, until above the polar circles the sun can skip rising or setting entirely. Dawn and dusk bracket the usable light around each end of the day. For a warmer, photographer's view of the same moments, see the golden hour calculator, and for the current phase of the moon, the moon phase today.
Frequently asked questions
- What time is sunrise and sunset today?
- Tap "Use my location" and this page computes today's sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk and day length for exactly where you are, in your local time. Until then it shows London as an example. You can also type any latitude and longitude, or pick a different date.
- How are sunrise and sunset calculated?
- From the sun's position for your latitude, longitude and date, using the standard astronomical algorithm (Meeus). Sunrise and sunset are defined as the moment the top of the sun is 0.833° below the horizon — that offset accounts for the sun's radius and atmospheric refraction, which is why the sun is already fully up when its centre is still slightly below the true horizon.
- What are dawn and dusk?
- These mark civil twilight: dawn is when the sun reaches 6° below the horizon in the morning and there is enough natural light to see, and dusk is the matching point in the evening. Sunrise and sunset fall between them.
- Why is there no sunrise near the poles in winter?
- Above the Arctic and Antarctic circles the sun can stay below the horizon for the whole day (polar night) or above it around the clock (midnight sun). On those days there is no sunrise or sunset to report, so this tool shows a dash instead.