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Sun Position Calculator: Solar Noon, Altitude & Azimuth

Calculate solar noon, the sun's altitude and azimuth, sunrise, sunset, and day length from latitude/longitude, date, time, and time zone.

All calculations are done within the browser and no input is sent.

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Load an example preset

Select a location, date, and time to fill the inputs and show the results immediately.

Inputs

Location

View on map
Northern latitude is +, southern latitude is - (-90 to 90)
East longitude is +, west longitude is - (-180 to 180)

Example: 35.6895, 139.6917. Paste a pair to split it automatically; inputs stay in your browser.

Date and time

Time zone

If entered, this takes priority. For example, UTC+09:00 is 540 and UTC-04:00 is -240. This is useful when you want to lock the daylight-saving offset manually.

How to use (3 steps)

  1. Enter latitude and longitude, date and time, and time zone.
  2. Use "Calculate" to check solar altitude, azimuth, sunrise/sunset, and day length.
  3. Results can be shared with "Copy share link" (no input is sent).

Results

Solar altitude
—
With refraction correction under standard atmospheric conditions
Solar azimuth
—
North = 0°, East = 90° (clockwise)
Sunrise and sunset
— / —
The center of the sun is 0.833° below the horizon (official definition)
Day length
—
h:mm
Solar noon
—
Approximate local solar noon time
Solar noon altitude
—
Maximum solar altitude for the day
Supplementary information (declination, equation of time, hour angle, refraction)
  • Geometric altitude (without refraction): —
  • Refractive correction amount (approximate): —
  • Declination: —
  • Equation of time: —
  • Hour angle: —

Displayed solar altitude is geometric altitude plus the refraction correction. This note is for study purposes.

Astronomy tools

Find related tools for sunrise, twilight, moon phase, and observing planning.

Open astronomy hub

Solar altitude over one day

Horizontal axis: local time; vertical axis: solar altitude (°). Vertical lines and dots mark the input times. Trace the graph to read the altitude and direction at that time.

Solar altitude over one day Sun altitude (degrees) relative to time of day.

Share or save

The shared URL contains the input state, including latitude, longitude, date, time, and time zone.

Assumptions, definitions, and disclaimers

FAQ

Which direction is "0°" for solar azimuth?
North is 0° and increases clockwise. East is 90°, south is 180°, and west is 270°.
Why is sunrise/sunset sometimes displayed as "None"?
At high latitudes, depending on the season, there are days when the sun does not set (midnight sun) or does not rise (polar night), in which case sunrise/sunset cannot be defined.
How accurate are the calculation results?
This tool is an approximation based on the NOAA series formulas for general use. Depending on conditions, solar altitude and azimuth may differ by about 0.5 degrees, and sunrise or sunset may differ by several minutes.
Why does the result change when I change the time zone?
Sunrise/sunset etc. are displayed in local time. Even at the same moment, the displayed time will change if the displayed time zone is different.
What should I enter first for solar position?

Start with the nearest city preset or your latitude and longitude, then check solar noon, altitude, azimuth, sunrise, and sunset using the same date, time, and time zone.

Comments

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