Sunset Time
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Current Local Time
—This sunset calculator shows the exact sunset time for any city or coordinates worldwide, updated live with a countdown.
What Is Sunset Time?
Sunset time is the exact moment when the upper edge of the sun disappears below the horizon as seen from your location. This instant depends on your latitude, longitude, and the time of year, because the Earth's axial tilt shifts the sun's apparent path across the sky. Most people assume sunset means the sun has geometrically set, but the reality is more nuanced.
Our calculator applies standard atmospheric refraction of 0.833°, which means the sun is technically already below the geometric horizon at the moment we call sunset. This refraction bends sunlight over the curve of the Earth, making the sun visible for approximately two extra minutes after it has geometrically set. Without this correction, sunset times would be off by several minutes — a discrepancy that matters for photography, navigation, and solar energy planning.
How Our Sunset Time Calculator Works
Our sunset calculator runs entirely in your browser using the SunCalc library, which implements the Jean Meeus astronomical algorithms. It computes the precise moment the sun's upper limb crosses the horizon at your specified coordinates and date, applying the standard atmospheric refraction correction of 0.833° — the same value used by the U.S. Naval Observatory and timeanddate.com.
The tool first calculates the sun's declination angle and hour angle at your location, then solves for the exact time when the sun's center sits 0.833° below the geometric horizon — accounting for the sun's semi-diameter of approximately 0.267°. No data is sent to any server; every computation happens locally on your device for instant, private results.
FAQ — Sunset Time
How do I know the exact sunset time for my city today?
Enter your city name or coordinates into the calculator above and you'll get the precise sunset time for today. In my experience, the tool is accurate to within a few seconds for most locations. If you're near mountains or high terrain, the actual visible sunset may differ from the calculated time because local horizon obstructions aren't accounted for in the base algorithm.
Does sunset time change every single day?
Yes, sunset time shifts by somewhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes every day depending on the season and your latitude. I've noticed the most rapid changes happen around the equinoxes in March and September, when sunset can move by nearly 2 minutes per day. Around the solstices, the change is much slower — sometimes barely a minute per day.
Why is my sunset time different from what my phone weather app shows?
Most weather apps show civil sunset, which includes the standard refraction correction we apply. The difference usually comes down to horizon elevation — if you're at a higher elevation than the algorithm assumes, the sun sets later than calculated. Mountains, buildings, and trees near your horizon can also delay the visible sunset by several minutes.
What is the 0.833° refraction correction?
The 0.833° value accounts for two effects: atmospheric refraction (about 0.57°) which bends sunlight as it passes through Earth's atmosphere, and the sun's semi-diameter (about 0.27°) since we define sunset by the sun's upper edge, not its center. Together these mean the sun is already 0.833° below the geometric horizon when we call it sunset.
How does altitude affect sunset time?
Higher elevation means you can see the sun for longer — roughly 1 minute earlier sunrise and 1 minute later sunset per 300 meters of elevation gain. If you live in a mountain city like Mexico City at 2,240 meters, sunset can be 7-8 minutes later than at sea level at the same latitude. The calculator uses your coordinates but doesn't currently account for local elevation.