Sunrise and Sunset Calculator
Free online Sunrise and Sunset Calculator that runs directly in your browser.
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Other tools you may find usefulSunrise and sunset calculator - calculate the length of the day online
The Sun is the central star of our system, whose daily cycle determines the rhythm of life on Earth. The exact times of sunrise and sunset change every day and depend directly on the observer's geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) and the season (resulting from the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis relative to the plane of its orbit). Knowing these hours is crucial for photographers looking for the so-called golden hour, farmers, fishermen, sailors, astronomy enthusiasts, as well as people planning mountain hiking or installing photovoltaic panels. Our free online sunrise and sunset calculator allows you to instantly determine solar time for any city in Poland and in the world.
Just select a city or enter the coordinates to receive the precise time of sunrise, sunset, day length and the moment of sunrise, taking into account the current time zone.
Earth's movement and changes in day length during the year
The length of day and night on Earth is not constant (apart from the equator, where the day always lasts about 12 hours). These changes are most visible in temperate latitudes (including Poland). The table below shows the approximate time of sunrise and sunset and the average length of the day in Warsaw for individual months of the year:
| Month | Average sunrise time (Warsaw) | Average sunset time (Warsaw) | Average day length | Change compared to the previous month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:40 | 16:00 | 8 hours 20 minutes | + 35 minutes (day extension) |
| March (Equinox) | 05:45 | 17:50 | 12 hours 05 minutes | + 1 hour 55 minutes |
| June (Summer Solstice) | 04:15 | 21:00 | 16 hours 45 minutes | + 50 minutes (longest day of the year) |
| September (Equinox) | 06:15 | 18:40 | 12 hours 25 minutes | - 1 hour 50 minutes (day shortening) |
| December (Winter Solstice) | 07:40 | 15:25 | 7 hours 45 minutes | - 40 minutes (shortest day of the year) |
How are sunrise and sunset times calculated?
Astronomical calculations of the sun's position are based on advanced mathematical algorithms that take into account the position of the observer on the Earth's ellipsoid. The algorithm takes into account:
- Latitude ($\phi$):It determines the angle at which the sun rises above the horizon. The further north you go in summer, the longer the days.
- Longitude ($\lambda$):Determines the shift of the local sunrise time in a given time zone (e.g. sunrise in Lublin is approximately 25 minutes earlier than in Szczecin, despite the same time zone).
- Solar declination ($\delta$):The angle between the sun's rays and the plane of the equator, changing over the annual cycle.
- Atmospheric refraction:The phenomenon of deflection of solar rays in the Earth's atmosphere. It makes us see the sun above the horizon before it physically (geometrically) appears above it, and after it sets below it (this adds about 3-4 minutes to the length of the day).
Phases of Twilight - Civil, Navigational and Astronomical Twilight
Sunset does not mean instant darkness. Astronomy distinguishes three phases of twilight, defined by the angle of the sun's disc below the horizon:
- Civil twilight (also called calendar twilight):The sun's disc is up to 6 degrees below the horizon. At this time, it is still light enough outside that there is no need to use artificial lighting for normal activities.
- Nautical t