Sun Position Calculator (Elevation & Azimuth)
Where exactly is the sun right now — elevation and compass azimuth for any time and place, for solar panels, shadows, photos and windows.
Azimuth is from TRUE north — add your magnetic declination before using a compass. The two numbers answer most practical sun questions: panel tilt ≈ latitude (annual) or latitude±15° (seasonal); a window gets direct sun whenever the azimuth band it faces contains the sun AND elevation clears the obstructions.
Formula
⚠️ Ephemeris approximations (±1–3 min for sun times at mid-latitudes, ±0.5 day moon age) — ideal for planning; for precise almanac work use USNO/IMCCE data.
Disclaimer: This tool is for general informational and estimation purposes only and is not professional financial, tax, accounting or legal advice. All figures are estimates — verify with a qualified professional before making decisions. Read the full disclaimer.
Where exactly is the sun right now — elevation and compass azimuth for any time and place, for solar panels, shadows, photos and windows.
About Sun Position Calculator (Elevation & Azimuth)
Solar panels, shadow studies, window-light planning, golden-hour direction, even car-park shade strategy — they all reduce to two angles: how high the sun is, and which way. This calculator computes solar elevation and azimuth for any date, clock time and coordinates using the NOAA position equations, with the compass direction named and the declination shown — the raw feed behind every sun-path diagram architects pin to drawings.
How to use Sun Position Calculator (Elevation & Azimuth)
- 1Enter — sensible defaults are pre-filled so you see a worked result immediately.
- 2Read the live results: .
- 3Check the "With your numbers" line to see the formula sin(el) = sinφ sinδ + cosφ cosδ cos(HA); azimuth from the spherical triangle, HA from true solar time substituted step by step.
- 4Adjust inputs (or flip the unit toggle) until the scenario matches yours, then copy or share the result.
Why use Sun Position Calculator (Elevation & Azimuth)?
- ✓Instant, free and private — every calculation runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded
- ✓Built on the published formula sin(el) = sinφ sinδ + cosφ cosδ cos(HA); azimuth from the spherical triangle, HA from true solar time with sources cited on the page
- ✓Azimuth is from TRUE north — add your magnetic declination before using a compass. The two numbers answer most practical sun questions: panel tilt ≈ latitude (annual) or latitude±15° (seasonal); a window gets direct sun whenever the azimuth band it faces contains the sun AND elevation clears the obstructions.
- ✓Switch units, tweak any input and watch every result update live
Frequently asked questions
Does the sun really rise due east and set due west?+
Only twice a year: at the equinoxes, everywhere on Earth. Otherwise it rises north of east in your summer and south of east in winter, by an amount that grows with latitude — at 40°, the June sunrise is at azimuth ~59° (ENE) and December's at ~121° (ESE), a 62° swing along the horizon. At 60° latitude the swing exceeds 100°. Photographers planning a sunrise alignment and architects siting windows both live and die by this spread; 'east-facing' is a season-dependent claim.
What elevation and azimuth should my solar panels target?+
Fixed panels: face the equator (azimuth 180° in the northern hemisphere) tilted near your latitude — that tracks the sun's average. Optimize seasonally: latitude −15° in summer, +15° in winter; or split the difference at latitude ×0.9 for annual yield. The deeper insight this tool gives: output falls with cos(angle between sun and panel normal), so being 15° off costs only ~3.4% — panel AIM is forgiving, while SHADING (elevation below an obstruction) is catastrophic. Check winter solstice elevation against your neighbor's roofline before anything else.
How do architects use sun-path data for buildings?+
Two classic moves: overhangs sized so summer's high sun (June elevation at solar noon = 90° − latitude + 23.4°) is blocked while winter's low sun (90° − latitude − 23.4°) pours in — passive solar design is literally these two numbers; and 'right to light'/shadow studies, where a proposed tower's shadow at key dates (often the winter solstice, worst case) is swept across neighboring plots using exactly this elevation/azimuth feed per hour. Our shadow-length tool turns the elevation into metres.
Why is solar noon not at 12:00 on my clock?+
Three offsets stack: your longitude within the time zone (4 minutes per degree from the zone's reference meridian — Mumbai's solar noon runs ~39 minutes behind IST's meridian), the equation of time (±16 min seasonal drift from orbital eccentricity and tilt), and daylight saving (a flat hour where observed). Combined, clock noon and the sun's actual peak can differ by 1.5+ hours (western China on Beijing time is the extreme case). The declination output and our solar-noon sibling tool unpack each contribution.
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