Explore how the sun moves across the sky throughout the day and year
What is Sun Position?
The sun's position in the sky is defined by two angles: altitude (how high above the horizon) and azimuth (compass direction). These values change throughout the day and vary based on your location and the date.
Altitude
Measured in degrees from -90° (directly below) to +90° (directly overhead). When the sun's altitude is 0°, it's at the horizon. Positive values mean the sun is above the horizon (daytime), while negative values mean it's below (nighttime).
Azimuth
Measured in degrees from 0° to 360°, where 0° is north, 90° is east, 180° is south, and 270° is west. This tells you which compass direction to look to see the sun.
Solar Noon
The time when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky for the day. This isn't always at 12:00 PM clock time due to your timezone and the equation of time.
Did you know?
- The sun's light takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach Earth
- Earth's orbit is elliptical, so our distance from the sun varies by about 3 million miles
- The earliest sunset doesn't occur on the winter solstice - it's usually a few weeks earlier!
Try this:
- Compare summer and winter solstices at different latitudes
- See how twilight duration changes with latitude
- Explore why Alaska has midnight sun in summer
- Check when golden hour occurs at your favorite photo spots