Daylight calculator
Calculate sunrise, sunset, civil dawn, civil dusk, daylight length, and event direction for any location and date.
Calculator controls
Search by address, place, district, or city.
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
-27.4698°, 153.0251°
Calculated result
2026-09-02 · Australia/Brisbane
Civil dawn
05:39
Sun at −6° altitude
Sunrise
06:02
81.1° East · Altitude -0.6°
Solar noon
11:49
359.5° North · Altitude +54.4°
Sunset
17:36
278.5° West · Altitude -1.1°
Civil dusk
17:59
Sun at −6° altitude
Day length
11h 34m
Australia/Brisbane
The CSV records the current location, date, timezone, model identifier, and every result shown for this calculator. It excludes raw geocoding-provider payloads.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|
| June solstice2026-06-21 | 06:38 | 17:02 | 10h 24m |
| December solstice2026-12-21 | 04:50 | 18:43 | 13h 53m |
Stable worked example
At −27.4698, 153.0251 in Australia/Brisbane time, the engine reports civil dawn at 06:13, sunrise at 06:38, sunset at 17:02, and civil dusk at 17:28. Calculated daylight is 10h 24m.
This fixed reference is independent of the controls above, so readers and tests can reproduce it across visits.
Independent comparison
Fixed USNO API v4.0.1 snapshots for Brisbane, London, and Singapore are compared with this site's production engine. A pass requires every displayed event to be within two minutes.
Tolerance: ±2 minutes
| Event | USNO snapshot | Solar Path Tracker | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil dawn | 06:12 | 06:13 | 1 min |
| Sunrise | 06:38 | 06:38 | 0 min |
| Solar noon | 11:50 | 11:50 | 0 min |
| Sunset | 17:02 | 17:02 | 0 min |
| Civil dusk | 17:27 | 17:28 | 1 min |
Source: U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications API v4.0.1 · snapshot checked 2026-08-24. Fixed rise, transit, set, twilight, and polar-state snapshots. The API is not called at runtime.
Tolerance: ±2 minutes
| Event | USNO snapshot | Solar Path Tracker | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil dawn | 05:30 | 05:31 | 1 min |
| Sunrise | 06:03 | 06:05 | 2 min |
| Solar noon | 12:08 | 12:09 | 1 min |
| Sunset | 18:13 | 18:13 | 0 min |
| Civil dusk | 18:47 | 18:46 | 1 min |
Source: U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications API v4.0.1 · snapshot checked 2026-08-24. Fixed rise, transit, set, twilight, and polar-state snapshots. The API is not called at runtime.
Tolerance: ±2 minutes
| Event | USNO snapshot | Solar Path Tracker | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil dawn | 06:33 | 06:34 | 1 min |
| Sunrise | 06:54 | 06:55 | 1 min |
| Solar noon | 12:57 | 12:58 | 1 min |
| Sunset | 19:00 | 19:01 | 1 min |
| Civil dusk | 19:21 | 19:22 | 1 min |
Source: U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications API v4.0.1 · snapshot checked 2026-08-24. Fixed rise, transit, set, twilight, and polar-state snapshots. The API is not called at runtime.
Interpretation
Sunrise and sunset mark the standard horizon crossings used by SunCalc. Civil dawn and civil dusk extend the useful low-light period to the point where the Sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.
Use the timestamps with the displayed azimuths when planning travel, site access, photography, or an observation where both the light window and its direction matter.
Day length changes because Earth’s axis is tilted. The solstice comparison uses the same selected coordinates so the difference comes from season rather than location.
At higher latitudes the seasonal swing becomes larger. Near the equator, sunrise, sunset, and day length stay comparatively consistent.
The calculation uses geographic coordinates, date, and timezone. It does not include local skyline height, elevation masks, cloud, refraction changes caused by weather, or visibility through nearby structures.
Treat the result as a planning reference and verify critical observations on site.
Questions
Civil dawn begins when the Sun is 6 degrees below the horizon. Sunrise is the later event when the Sun’s upper edge becomes visible under the standard astronomical model.
The result cards show the event azimuth and a compass direction for sunrise and sunset. Use the degree value when you need to compare a facade, street, camera axis, or other bearing precisely.
Yes. Open the Sun Path Map separately and enter the same location and date to inspect the full daily arc. Settings are not carried between tools, so enter the inputs again when comparing results.
Buildings, hills, trees, local terrain, and weather can block the horizon. This calculator reports astronomical event times and does not model those obstructions.
When sunrise or sunset does not occur, the calculator reports the event as unavailable and identifies midnight sun or polar night instead of inventing a time.