3 Sunrise Sunset Lookup Tools, Compared Honestly

You need to know exactly when the sun rises or sets at a specific location and date — for a photography shoot, planning an outdoor event, or astronomical observation — using real coordinates rather than a rough general estimate.

Every calculator here uses recognized astronomical algorithms to compute accurate times; the differences are in whether twilight phases and golden hour are included, how the underlying calculation is sourced, and whether extras like map selection or month/year views are offered.

How to judge a sunrise sunset lookup tool

Uses a recognized astronomical algorithm. NOAA’s solar position algorithm or Jean Meeus’s astronomical algorithms (used by professional observatories) are the standard references — check which one a tool cites.

Covers twilight phases if you need them. Civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight matter for photography, astronomy, and maritime/aviation planning, not just the bare sunrise/sunset moment.

Includes golden hour if relevant to your use case. Photographers specifically plan around golden hour and blue hour windows, which are a different calculation from sunrise/sunset itself.

States its accuracy limits. Any honest calculator should note that accuracy decreases at extreme latitudes or near equinoxes rather than presenting results as perfectly precise everywhere.

The comparison

Facts checked August 2026; tools change their plans.

TimeOfSunrise.com

TimeOfSunrise.com calculates sunrise, sunset, solar noon, and golden hour windows using the SunCalc library, which implements Jean Meeus’s astronomical algorithms from “Astronomical Algorithms” (1991) — the same methods used by professional observatories, accurate to within 1 minute for most locations below 70 degrees latitude, and accounting for atmospheric refraction at the horizon.

It isn’t for someone specifically needing detailed twilight phase data — its stated outputs center on golden hour rather than explicit civil/nautical/astronomical twilight breakdowns.

Basic Free Tools

Basic Free Tools uses the NOAA solar position algorithm, displaying sunrise, sunset, solar noon, day length, and all three twilight phases — civil (-6°), nautical (-12°), and astronomical (-18°) — on a visual 24-hour timeline, running entirely client-side with no server calls, accurate to about one minute for typical locations.

It isn’t for someone who wants map-based location selection or extended date-range views — it’s focused on a single date/location lookup rather than broader visualization.

SimpleMapLab

SimpleMapLab covers civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight, morning and evening golden hour with dedicated timeline visualization, and blue hour (when the sun is 4-8 degrees below the horizon), plus an interactive world map for location selection, a sortable month view table, and a year graph showing sunrise/sunset trends with solstice and equinox markers.

It isn’t for someone who wants a minimal, fast single lookup — the breadth of views (map, month, year) is more than a quick single-date check usually needs.

Sunrise Sunset Lookup

Our tool calculates sunrise, sunset, and daylight length for any latitude, longitude, and date, computed offline using solar position formulas.

A real limitation: it doesn’t break out twilight phases or golden hour separately — for photography planning or precise twilight timing, SimpleMapLab or Basic Free Tools cover that specific need.

Which one to pick

If you just need sunrise, sunset, and daylight length for a location and date, use our Sunrise Sunset Lookup.

If you’re planning photography around golden hour or blue hour, use SimpleMapLab.

If you need all three twilight phases with a visual timeline, use Basic Free Tools.

If you want observatory-grade precision using the Meeus algorithm, use TimeOfSunrise.com.

How to do it with Sunrise Sunset Lookup

1. Open the Sunrise Sunset Lookup.
2. Enter the latitude, longitude, and date.
3. Read the calculated sunrise, sunset, and daylight length.

Browse the full tools directory for more free, browser-based date and time tools.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free sunrise sunset calculator that doesn’t need an account?

Yes. Our Sunrise Sunset Lookup and all three alternatives here calculate sun times without requiring signup.

What’s the difference between civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight?

They’re defined by how far the sun is below the horizon: civil twilight (sun 0-6° below horizon) is bright enough for most outdoor activities without artificial light, nautical twilight (6-12° below) is when the horizon is still faintly visible at sea for navigation, and astronomical twilight (12-18° below) is when the sky is nearly fully dark and faint celestial objects become observable — a distinction that matters for photography, sailing, and astronomy respectively.

Why do sunrise and sunset calculations account for atmospheric refraction?

Light bends slightly as it passes through Earth’s atmosphere, which means the sun is visible on the horizon a bit before it’s geometrically above it in the morning, and remains visible a bit after it’s geometrically below the horizon in the evening — accurate calculators apply a standard refraction correction (roughly 0.833°) to match what an observer actually sees rather than a purely geometric calculation, a detail covered in NOAA’s solar calculator documentation.

Final thought

For most everyday planning, sunrise/sunset and daylight length is all you need — reach for a tool with full twilight and golden hour breakdowns specifically when the exact lighting quality matters, like for photography or astronomical observation.

Try the free Sunrise Sunset Lookup