Sunrise & Sunset Calculator — Golden Hour for Any Place and Date

The tool uses the NOAA solar position algorithm — the same one behind official sunrise tables — computing the sun's declination and the equation of time for your date, then solving for when the sun's upper edge crosses the horizon (accounting for standard atmospheric refraction). Results are accurate to about a minute and shown in the location's own timezone.

Golden hour is the period just after sunrise and just before sunset when the sun sits low — here defined as between the horizon and 6° above it. The light is warm, soft, and directional, which is why photographers plan shoots around it. The tool shows both golden hours and marks them in amber on the daylight timeline.

They are defined by how far the sun is below the horizon. Civil twilight (up to 6° below): bright enough for outdoor activities without lights. Nautical twilight (6–12°): the horizon is still visible at sea for star sights. Astronomical twilight (12–18°): the sky is dark enough for most astronomy; beyond 18° it is fully dark night.

Sun times depend on both latitude and longitude. Moving east or west shifts solar time by 4 minutes per degree of longitude, and moving north or south changes the day length — dramatically so near the poles. Times also assume a flat horizon: in a valley the sun appears later and disappears earlier than the calculated moment.

Above the polar circles the sun can stay up (midnight sun) or stay down (polar night) for days to months. Try northern Norway in June or December — the tool detects both cases and says so instead of showing meaningless times.

Yes — pick any date with the date field or step day-by-day with the arrows. The algorithm is valid for decades into the future, so you can plan an event's ceremony time or scout a shoot months ahead.