☀️Sun Angle Calculator

About this tool

Enter latitude and longitude (or use your location), a date, the local time and your UTC offset. The tool shows how high the sun is and in which compass direction, how long an object's shadow is, when solar noon occurs and the sun's maximum height that day.

Where the sun is in the sky

The sun's position is given by two angles. Elevation (or altitude) is its height above the horizon, and azimuth is its compass direction, measured clockwise from north, so 180° is due south. Both are calculated with the NOAA solar position equations, which account for the Earth's tilt (the sun's declination, ±23.4° between the solstices) and the equation of time. At London on the June solstice the noon sun climbs to about 62°; on the December solstice only about 15°, which is why winter shadows are so long. The shadow length of an object is its height ÷ tan(elevation), so a 1.8 m person's shadow equals their height when the sun is at 45°. Solar noon, when the sun is highest and due south (or north in the southern hemisphere), is rarely 12:00 on the clock because of time zones, daylight saving and the equation of time. Uses include planning solar panels, photography, gardens and sundials. Honest limits: accurate to within a degree or two; it ignores atmospheric refraction near the horizon and local hills or buildings. The sunrise and sunset calculator and the solar panel calculator are related.

Frequently asked questions