Solarc — Sunrise, sunset, and sun position calculator
A free interactive solar calculator. Tap anywhere on the map or search for a city to see the sun's path overhead, where sunrise and sunset land on the horizon, and the precise time of every solar event for the day — anywhere on Earth.
What you can read off the map
Sunrise & sunset
Local-time sunrise and sunset, accurate to the minute, for any location.
Twilight phases
Civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight at both dawn and dusk.
Golden & blue hour
Photography windows for warm-tone shots and cool-tone sky.
Solar noon & day length
Highest sun point and total daylight, with how it shifted from yesterday.
Live sun position
Current altitude (height) and azimuth (compass direction) at any moment.
Sun path overhead
Today's path with hourly markers, plus June and December solstice arcs.
How to use it
Pick a location
Allow location access, search a city, or tap directly on the map.
Pick a date
Use the calendar button or step day by day with the arrow buttons.
Scrub through the day
Drag the time slider to watch the sun move along its arc.
Share the view
Copy the URL to send the exact same view to someone else.
Who Solarc is for
Photographers planning golden hour shoots. Sailors checking civil twilight before evening passages. Hikers tracking how much daylight is left before sunset. Stargazers waiting for astronomical twilight to set up their telescopes. Anyone planning anything outdoors.
Accuracy & time zones
Times are computed with Astronomy Engine, with tolerance under one minute against NOAA's reference. Time zones detected per location, daylight saving handled, polar day and polar night represented as legitimate states.
Popular cities
Explore sunrise, sunset, and daylight times for some of the world’s most populous cities.
- ShanghaiChina
- BeijingChina
- ShenzhenChina
- GuangzhouChina
- KinshasaCongo - Kinshasa
- IstanbulTürkiye
- LagosNigeria
- Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam
- ChengduChina
- LahorePakistan
- MumbaiIndia
- São PauloBrazil
- Mexico CityMexico
- KarachiPakistan
- TianjinChina
- DelhiIndia
- WuhanChina
- MoscowRussia
- DhakaBangladesh
- SeoulSouth Korea
- TokyoJapan
- DongguanChina
- CairoEgypt
- Xi’anChina
Frequently asked questions
How does Solarc calculate sunrise and sunset times?▼
Solarc uses Astronomy Engine, an open-source library that computes sun position based on the Earth’s orbital and rotational mechanics. Times agree with the NOAA Solar Calculator to within one minute.
Does Solarc work for any location in the world?▼
Yes. Tap any spot on the interactive map, search for a city, or allow location access. Solarc handles every timezone, daylight saving rules, and polar regions where the sun does not rise or set.
What is the difference between civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight?▼
Civil twilight is when the sun is between 0 and 6 degrees below the horizon — bright enough to do most outdoor activities without artificial light. Nautical twilight (6 to 12 degrees below) is dark enough to see stars on the horizon. Astronomical twilight (12 to 18 degrees below) is when the sky is fully dark for stargazing.
When is the golden hour, and why does it matter?▼
Golden hour is the period after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is between roughly 0 and 6 degrees above the horizon. Light is warm, soft, and directional — ideal for photography. Solarc shows the start and end of both morning and evening golden hours.
Are the times shown in my local timezone or the location’s timezone?▼
Times are always shown in the timezone of the location you select, not your browser’s timezone. This matters when planning trips: searching Tokyo from a London browser shows Tokyo’s local sunrise time, not London’s.
Does Solarc handle daylight saving time?▼
Yes. Solarc uses the IANA timezone database, which includes every historical and current daylight saving rule worldwide. The displayed times reflect whichever DST offset applies on the chosen date.