How to Use: Sun & Moon City Page

The Moon icon at the top shows approximately what the current Moon phase looks like from the selected location. The white part is the illuminated part, while the gray part is not currently visible. It changes in real-time. The percentage below the Moon image indicates how much of the visible lunar surface is currently illuminated by the Sun.

Note that the Moon phase illustration does not show whether the Moon is currently below the horizon or invisible due to clouds.

On a larger screen, such as a desktop, you will find the local time for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset to the right of the Moon phase illustration near the top of the page, along with the direction in which they occur. On a smaller device, such as a mobile, this information is directly below the illustration.

The angles shown are azimuth angles. They are measured in degrees, with 360 degrees in a full circle, counted in a clockwise direction from north. North has an azimuth value of 0 degrees, east is 90 degrees, south is 180 degrees, and west is 270 degrees.

On a larger device, there is also a map where the location is marked with a “pin”. This map is not shown on a mobile or other small screen devices.

Use the search field to open the Sun & Moon Page for a different city. The search supports ZIP/postal codes for several countries, including the United States and Canada.

You can also enter geographic coordinates (longitude and latitude) to find the same information for any place on Earth.

Problems? See “The city search lists several places with the same name. Which is the one I'm looking for?” in the FAQ section below.

Use the navigation tabs next to (below on mobile) the search field to access the General Country Page (Time/General tab) or other sub-pages dedicated to specific topics, such as Weather, Time Zone, and DST Changes in the city.

The first graph on the page shows the Sun's altitude in the selected location throughout the course of the current day. The graph defaults to the current local time. Move your mouse over the graph to select a different time.

The box on the right shows:

• Altitude: the Sun's altitude is the angle the Sun makes with the horizon. At 0 degrees, the Sun's center is on the horizon, at 90 degrees, it is in the zenith position directly overhead; negative values mean that the Sun is below the horizon.
• Heading: the Sun's azimuth refers to its cardinal direction. The azimuth is measured in degrees, with 360 in a full circle, counted in a clockwise direction from north. North has an azimuth value of 0 degrees, east is 90 degrees, south is 180 degrees, and west is 270 degrees.
• Position: indicates if it is day, night, or twilight, based on the Sun's altitude at the selected time. Twilight is divided into 3 phases.

The Day length section shows the time span between today's sunrise and sunset. Change since lists the difference of that time span in comparison to:

• Yesterday: the day before;
• Winter: the previous winter solstice (shortest day of the year); and,
• Summer: the previous summer solstice (longest day of the year).

This graph shows the times when the day, the night, and the 3 phases of twilight start and end today. It is arranged in chronological order from left to right.

The time of day is displayed at the bottom of the graph. Move your mouse over the graph for more information about each phase. The table on the right shows the precise start and end times for each phase in chronological order from midnight to midnight.

This table includes some of the most important Sun data for the following seven days in the selected location. It is a simplified version of the information shown on the Sun City Page, where you can find more detailed Sun information for a date of your choice.

This table lists the precise moments of the current year's astronomical seasons: the March equinox, the June solstice, the September equinox, and the December solstice. All times are local and take into account Daylight Saving Time.

This graph is the Moon equivalent of the Today's Sun Position in... graph described above. It shows the Moon's altitude in the selected location throughout the course of the current day. The graph defaults to the current local time. Move your mouse over the graph to select a different time.

The box on the right shows:

• Altitude: the Moon's altitude is the vertical angle the Moon makes with the horizon. At 0 degrees, the Moon's center is on the horizon, at 90 degrees, it is in the zenith position directly overhead; negative values mean that the Moon is below the horizon.
• Heading: the Moon's azimuth refers to its cardinal direction. The azimuth is measured in degrees, with 360 degrees in a full circle, counted in a clockwise direction from north. North has an azimuth value of 0 degrees, east is 90 degrees, south is 180 degrees, and west is 270 degrees.
• Position: indicates if the Moon is above or below the horizon.

As with the Sun version (see Night, Twilight, and Daylight Times in...), this table includes the most important data from the Moon City Page.

This table lists the times the planets in our solar system rise and set on the current date. The Meridian column shows the time the planet crosses the local longitude, which is the moment it reaches its highest position in the sky.

For more information about planet visibility in the selected location, click on the More about the planets visible in the night sky in... link below the table to access the Night Sky City Page.

The rise and set times for Sun and Moon are based on the geographic coordinates displayed next to Lat/Long at the top of the Main City Page, which you can access by clicking on the Time/General tab.

Please note that our calculations assume a flat horizon, which is at the same altitude as the observer. This means that both the time and direction of sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset differs if there are mountains or other obstacles in the way.

The Moon phase simulation does not take into account the actual visibility of the Moon from the selected location. The Moon may currently be below the horizon, or adverse weather conditions may prevent a Moon sighting.

On some days, the Moon does not rise or set. Because the Moon is constantly in motion, the time span from one moonrise or moonset to the next is a little longer than 24 hours. If it rises just before midnight on day 1, it may not rise again until just after midnight on day 3, meaning that day 2 does not have a moonrise.

The Moon phase symbols are roughly based on the appearance of the Moon phases in the Northern Hemisphere. This means that they do not correctly represent the Moon phases in the Southern Hemisphere, where the illuminated portion of the lunar surface moves from left to right instead of right to left.

However, rather than showing what the phases actually look like in the selected city, they are static symbols designed to provide a simplified representation of each phase. For a dynamic, real-time representation of the current Moon phase in the selected city, please see the Moon phase simulation near the top of the page instead.

Our system supports both 24-hour and 12-hour (am/pm) clock formats. To change the format, please go to My Units and make a selection in the Time Format drop-down, and click Save Settings.

To use our new map location picker, click on the search field and then on Open Map. To choose your location, click on the map and click Select. Clicking Cancel closes the window.

You can use the search field to find your location, and then refine it by clicking on the map to get closer to your desired location. Clicking the target icon will take you to the location you have customized in the settings.

Using the zoom:

• The plus and minus symbols on the map zoom it in and out.
• You can move the map around in the window by clicking and holding your mouse button. If you are on a mobile or tablet, you move the map by holding your finger down.
• Click the mouse button or tap your finger to drop a pin on your desired location. If you have the map zoomed out, it will snap to the nearest location. Zooming right in will give you the coordinates of the location.

We appreciate your feedback! The map location picker is a BETA service, so it is still under development. If you find anything wrong or have suggestions to improve it, please let us know.

Our database of locations includes thousands of cities worldwide, and we now offer an additional 6 million places via the GeoNames database. If you still don't find your town, please let us know, and we will consider adding it.

When you type the location into the search field and it suggests several places by the same name, first have a look at the country flag and the description in parentheses to identify the city you are looking for. If it is still unclear, click on one of the locations and check the geographical position on the map (on desktop) or click on the Time/General tab and check the longitude/latitude information shown near the top of the page.

The Sun & Moon City Page always shows information about the current date. However, you can find the corresponding Sun and Moon information for a date of your choice on different pages:

• The Sun City Page provides Sun times, angles, and more for any date. You can access it by clicking on the Sunrise & Sunset tab. Click on a row in the table to see the Today's Sun Position graph for the selected date.
• The same applies to the Moon City Page, where you can find detailed Moon info for any date. Click on the Moonrise & Moonset tab to open it.
• The dates for equinoxes and solstices in other years are listed in the Seasons Calculator.

All headings are based on true north.

The arrows next to Sunrise Today, Sunset Today, Moonrise Today, and Moonset Today indicate the cardinal direction (azimuth) of each event. As on a standard map, an upward pointing arrow means north, right means east, down is south, and left is west.

A location's meridian is its longitude, a line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole, crossing the selected location. The moment when the Sun or the Moon crosses a location's meridian marks the instant when they reach the highest position in the sky, appearing either due south, due north, or directly overhead. For the Sun, it is the moment of solar noon.

Astronomers divide twilight into three different phases, which are defined by the Sun's altitude below the horizon. You will find each stage explained here.

The equinoxes are the moments when the Sun's zenith crosses the equator. The two yearly equinoxes mark the astronomical beginning of spring and autumn (fall).

On the days of the solstices, the Sun's zenith reaches its northernmost or southernmost position. These moments mark the beginning of summer and winter.

Find out more about why the Sun's zenith moves north or south

The planets section shows when each planet in our solar system is up in the sky today. We also state how visible we expect each planet to be, given that the skies are clear. To determine the level of visibility, we use a number of parameters, including the planet's

• inherent brightness,
• distance from Earth,
• altitude in the sky,
• distance from the Sun in the sky, and
• how long it is visible during the night.

Our Interactive Night Sky Map provides more details about the planets' visibility and helps you find them in the sky.

Yes, our city search engine supports ZIP and postal codes for the United States (5-digit ZIP codes only), Canada (first 3 letters/digits only), Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Norway.

Yes, you can look up any location by entering geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) into the search field.

Please use one of the following formats:

• Degrees and minutes, e.g., 40.42N 73.59W
• Decimal format, e.g., 40.71 -73.98

You can look up any location on Earth by entering geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) into the search field.

Please use one of the following formats:

• Degrees and minutes, e.g., 40.42N 73.59W
• Decimal format, e.g., 40.71 -73.98

You will find them explained here.

All of the information presented on our Sun and Moon pages is based on algorithms and data from the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) and NASA, which we have optimized to efficiently calculate accurate Sun and Moon times. The algorithms have been tested countless times and are monitored periodically to ensure continued accuracy.

However, some factors may influence the apparent movements of the Sun and the Moon that cannot be controlled. For example, while we consider refraction, the extent of its effect depends on atmospheric pressure and temperature. This means our times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset may be off by a few seconds if the pressure or temperature greatly deviates from the average values on which we base our calculations (pressure: 101.325 pascals or 0.0147 pounds per square inch (psi), and temperature: 15°C or 59°F).

Please note that our calculations assume a flat horizon, which is at the same altitude as the observer. This means the time and direction of sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset may differ if there are mountains or other obstacles in the way.

We are a small team with very extensive websites to manage, so, unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to share detailed information about our algorithms or provide programming help.

The General FAQ Page answers your questions about timeanddate.com, our services, site-wide settings, customization options, advertising opportunities, and copyright policies.