Sunrise and sunset: how the sun's daily times work
Sunrise and sunset set the rhythm of the day everywhere on Earth, yet the times are never fixed: they shift every day with the position of the Earth relative to the Sun and your location on the globe. This guide explains, simply, why that happens.
To see the real sunrise and sunset times for your city — calculated in real time — use the site's weather pages. Here we focus on understanding what's behind those numbers.
What sunrise and sunset are
Sunrise is the instant the top edge of the Sun appears on the eastern horizon; sunset is when that edge disappears below the western horizon. Daylight happens in between.
These times depend on three main factors: the latitude of the place, the time of year, and the local time zone. That's why sunrise in New York never happens at the exact same clock time as in London or Tokyo.
Why times change through the year
Earth spins tilted about 23.5° relative to its orbital plane. That tilt means each hemisphere receives more or less sunlight across the year, creating the seasons.
At the solstices we get the longest day (summer) and the shortest day (winter). At the equinoxes, in March and September, day and night are roughly equal everywhere on the planet.
Latitude and day length
The closer to the Equator, the more stable the times: daylight lasts about 12 hours all year. The closer to the poles, the larger the swing between summer and winter.
Above the Arctic Circle and below the Antarctic Circle you get extremes: the midnight sun, when the Sun never sets for days, and polar night, when it never rises.
Twilight, blue hour and golden hour
Before sunrise and after sunset comes twilight, split into civil, nautical and astronomical depending on how far the Sun is below the horizon.
Golden hour is the soft, warm light right after sunrise and before sunset, prized in photography. Blue hour is the bluish tone that appears when the Sun is just below the horizon.
Quick questions
Why does the sunrise time change every day?
Because the Earth is tilted and orbits the Sun. Each day the relative position shifts by a few minutes, so sunrise and sunset gradually move through the year.
Is sunrise the same across a whole country?
No. Even within one country, cities in the east see the sun rise before cities in the west, and latitude changes day length.
What is the midnight sun?
It's when, in regions near the poles, the Sun stays visible 24 hours a day during the local summer, without setting.
Where can I see the exact time for my city?
On the site's weather pages, which compute sunrise and sunset in real time for each city from its latitude and longitude.