Sun Angle & Shadow Calculator
Enter your location and a date. See sun angles, shadows and daylight hours.
100% in your browser - no upload, no sign-up.
Sun elevation
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Azimuth (from N)
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Shadow length
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Sun declination
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Sunrise
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Sunset
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Solar noon
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Day length: -
☀️ The sun is well up - good light and workable shadows.
🌅 The sun is low - shadows are very long and light is weak.
🌙 The sun is below the horizon at this time - no direct sun.
💡 Results follow your real clock time - sunrise, sunset, the sun's height and shadow length for your exact spot and day. The summer and winter sun sit very differently, so check across the seasons when planning shade, a patio, a garden bed or solar panels.
⚠️ Check the winter solstice - a spot sunny then is sunny all year.
How to use this sun angle calculator
- Enter your latitude in degrees - positive north of the equator, negative south.
- Set the date and the time of day you want to check.
- Enter an object height to read the shadow it casts, and read the sun's elevation and azimuth.
How the sun's angle and shadow are calculated
The sun's position comes from two angles. The solar declination - how far north or south the sun is over the year - swings from +23.44° at the June solstice to −23.44° in December. The elevation above the horizon is then sin(elevation) = sin(latitude)·sin(declination) + cos(latitude)·cos(declination)·cos(hour angle), where the hour angle grows 15° for every hour away from solar noon. The azimuth is derived from the same triangle, clockwise from north (0° = north, 90° = east, 180° = south, 270° = west). A shadow's length is the object height divided by the tangent of the elevation, so a low sun throws a long shadow and the noon sun the shortest. This calculator uses the full NOAA/Meeus algorithm - the equation of time, your longitude and UTC offset, plus an atmospheric-refraction correction near the horizon - so sunrise, sunset, solar noon and the sun's position match real clock time, not just mean solar time, to a fraction of a degree.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I find the sun's angle for my location?
- Enter your latitude and a date and time. The calculator returns the sun's elevation - its height above the horizon in degrees - and its azimuth, the compass direction it's in. At solar noon on the equinox the elevation equals 90° minus your latitude, so at 40° latitude the noon sun sits about 50° up, due south.
- How do I calculate shadow length?
- Shadow length is the object's height divided by the tangent of the sun's elevation angle. A 6-foot object with the sun 50° up casts a shadow about 5 feet long; drop the sun to 20° and the same object throws a shadow over 16 feet. Enter a height above and the calculator does it for the elevation at your date and time.
- Why plan around the sun angle?
- The sun rides high in summer and low in winter, so a spot that's sunny in July can sit in shade in December, and a wall or tree casts very different shadows across the seasons. Checking the elevation and shadow length before you place a patio, garden bed, solar panel or window helps you put it where it gets the light - or shade - you want.
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