How to Use the Daylight Hours Calculator
Daylight hours change dramatically with the seasons and your latitude. At the summer solstice (around June 21), New York gets about 15 hours of daylight, while at the winter solstice (around December 21) it drops to about 9 hours. This calculator uses astronomical formulas to estimate sunrise time, sunset time, and total daylight duration for any date and location.
Enter a positive latitude for the Northern Hemisphere and negative for the Southern Hemisphere. For example: New York (40.7°), Los Angeles (34.1°), London (51.5°), Sydney (-33.9°). Results are shown in solar time, where solar noon equals 12:00. Actual clock time differs by longitude within the time zone and whether daylight saving time is in effect — typically ±30 minutes. For extreme latitudes above 66.5° or below -66.5°, polar night or midnight sun may occur depending on the season.
Useful for planning outdoor photography (golden hour), gardening, solar energy calculations, and travel planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
This calculator uses solar time (solar noon = 12:00). Actual clock times differ based on your longitude within the time zone and daylight saving time — typically by up to ±30 minutes.
Polar night (no sunrise) and midnight sun (no sunset) occur near the poles — above 66.5° latitude or below -66.5° — depending on the season.