Solar Altitude Calculator
Find the Sun’s altitude angle for any location, date, and time. Altitude is measured in degrees above the horizon (negative values mean the Sun is below the horizon).
Assumes standard atmospheric conditions and uses common NOAA-style solar position approximations.
What is the altitude of the Sun?
The altitude of the Sun (also called solar elevation angle) is the vertical angle between the Sun and your local horizon. If the Sun is directly overhead, altitude is 90°. If it is right on the horizon, altitude is 0°. If it is below the horizon, altitude is negative.
This single number is incredibly useful in practical work such as solar panel design, photography planning, architectural shading, agriculture, and outdoor event timing.
How to use this calculator
1) Enter your location
Provide latitude and longitude in decimal degrees. North and East are positive numbers; South and West are negative.
- New York: latitude 40.7128, longitude -74.0060
- London: latitude 51.5074, longitude -0.1278
- Sydney: latitude -33.8688, longitude 151.2093
2) Enter local date, time, and UTC offset
Use local clock time and your UTC offset (for example UTC-5, UTC+1, UTC+5.5). Daylight savings should be reflected in the offset you enter.
3) Read the output
The calculator returns:
- Solar altitude in degrees
- Solar azimuth (compass direction from north, clockwise)
- Solar declination for the day
- Solar noon, sunrise, sunset, and day length estimates
Why solar altitude matters
Solar energy
Panel tilt and expected output depend heavily on the Sun’s height. Low altitude means sunlight passes through more atmosphere and strikes surfaces at a shallower angle, reducing intensity on fixed panels.
Photography and videography
Golden hour and blue hour happen when the Sun has low altitude. Knowing the angle helps plan shadows, contrast, and color temperature before you arrive on site.
Buildings and shade design
Architects and homeowners use solar altitude to size overhangs and control seasonal sunlight. A high summer Sun can be blocked while low winter Sun is admitted for passive heating.
Interpreting altitude values quickly
- Above 45°: strong daylight, short shadows.
- 10° to 45°: moderate Sun angle, longer shadows.
- 0° to 10°: near sunrise/sunset, warm directional light.
- Below 0°: Sun is below horizon (twilight or night).
Calculation notes and limitations
This tool uses widely accepted approximate solar-position equations suitable for planning and educational use. Small differences can occur versus professional ephemeris software due to atmospheric refraction, terrain, weather, and precision model differences.
If you need engineering-grade performance for legal, utility-scale, or scientific applications, compare results with a high-precision astronomical library or validated solar resource dataset.