Clocks
Sun & Moon
Find sunrise, sunset, day length, golden hour, blue hour, twilight, moon phase, moonrise and moonset for any city and date.
Why sunrise and sunset change
Earth is tilted on its axis, so the path of the sun across the sky changes through the year. In summer, the sun rises earlier, sets later and stays higher at solar noon. In winter, the opposite happens.
Latitude matters too. Places near the equator have roughly twelve hours of daylight all year, while high-latitude places swing from very short winter days to midnight sun in summer.
Golden hour and blue hour
Golden hour is the soft, warm light just after sunrise and just before sunset. Blue hour is the cooler light before sunrise and after sunset, when the sun is below the horizon but the sky is still bright.
Photographers use these windows for portraits, cityscapes and outdoor scenes because the light is softer and shadows are longer. Treat the times as a useful guide, not a guarantee; cloud cover and terrain can shift the look of the light.
Moon phase and illumination
The moon does not make its own light. We see the fraction of the sunlit side that faces Earth, which is the illumination percentage. A new moon is close to 0% illuminated; a full moon is close to 100%.
The phase calendar uses the moon at local noon for each date. The moon rises roughly 50 minutes later each day, so some dates have no moonrise or moonset within the local calendar day.
Polar day and polar night
Above the Arctic Circle and below the Antarctic Circle, the sun can stay above the horizon for 24 hours in summer or stay below it for 24 hours in winter. When that happens, sunrise and sunset are not defined for that date, so the tool shows a polar-day or polar-night note instead.
How the times are calculated
Sun and moon positions are calculated in the browser from the selected latitude, longitude and date. Times are displayed in the location's own timezone, including daylight saving where it applies.
The tool does not use weather data. Clouds, hills, buildings and trees can hide the sun before the calculated sunset or after the calculated sunrise.
How it works
Choose a location
Search for a city, use your current location or pick a saved place. Times are shown in that location's timezone.
Pick a date
Today is selected by default. Move through days or months to see how sunrise, sunset and daylight change.
Read the sun data
See sunrise, sunset, day length, solar noon, golden hour, blue hour and the three twilight stages.
Explore the moon
Check the current phase, illumination, moonrise and moonset, next full moon and the monthly phase calendar.
Good to know
- Times are shown in the selected location's timezone, including daylight saving where it applies.
- Sun and moon calculations run in your browser; city search uses the Open-Meteo geocoding API.
- Weather, terrain and buildings can change the visible sunrise, sunset, golden hour and blue hour.
Common questions
How accurate are the sunrise and sunset times?
The times are calculated astronomically for the selected coordinates and date. They are usually within a minute or so, but hills, buildings, trees, atmospheric conditions and the exact horizon can change what you actually see.
Why is my weather app showing a different sunset time?
Apps use different horizon assumptions, elevation data, rounding and refraction models. A weather app may also show the nearest city rather than your exact coordinates.
Why is there no moonrise or moonset today?
The moon rises about 50 minutes later each day, so some local calendar days have no moonrise or no moonset. In polar regions the moon can also stay above or below the horizon all day.
What is golden hour?
Golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise or before sunset when the sun is low and the light is warm and soft. It is popular for photography because shadows are longer and skin tones often look gentler.
What is blue hour?
Blue hour is the cooler period just before sunrise and just after sunset, when the sun is below the horizon but the sky still has usable light. It is often used for cityscapes and twilight photos.
Does the tool work for polar day and polar night?
Yes. If the sun does not rise or set on the selected date, the page shows a polar-day or polar-night note instead of inventing a sunrise time.
Are sun and moon times shown in my timezone or the location's timezone?
They are shown in the selected location's timezone, including daylight saving where it applies. This matters when you are planning a trip or checking a place you are not currently in.
Does the tool use weather data?
No. It calculates astronomical times only. Cloud cover, haze and terrain can make the visible sunrise or sunset earlier or later than the calculated time.