☀️ Sun Angle Calculator
Find the sun’s elevation angle above the horizon and its compass direction (azimuth) for a given latitude, day of year, and time of day.
What sun angle means
The sun’s elevation angle is how high it sits above the horizon (0° at sunrise/sunset, up to 90° directly overhead), and its azimuth is the compass direction you’d look to see it, measured clockwise from true north. Both change continuously through the day and across the year as Earth rotates and orbits the sun.
How this calculator works
The calculator uses the standard solar position equations: it first estimates the sun’s declination (how far the sun appears north or south of the equator) from the day of the year, then combines that with your latitude and the hour angle (how far the sun has moved from solar noon) to solve for elevation and azimuth using spherical trigonometry. Solar noon at your location corresponds to hour 12 in local solar time, which can differ slightly from your clock time depending on time zone and daylight saving.
Results are calculated for general educational and planning purposes — for photography, solar panel placement, or gardening they’re a solid approximation, but atmospheric refraction near the horizon and local terrain can shift the exact visible position of the sun slightly.