Sun
Sun Path Diagram
Chart the sun's altitude and azimuth across the sky for any date and place, with solstice and equinox reference arcs.
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Date and location
Any date from 1900 to 2100.
-90 to 90, north positive.
-180 to 180, east positive.
Sun path
Solid line: the sun's path on the selected date, with brass dots at whole hours. Dashed arcs: the June and December solstices and the equinox at this latitude. The tinted band lies below the horizon, where the curve is drawn dashed. Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north: 0 north, 90 east, 180 south, 270 west. The curve ignores atmospheric refraction; sunrise and sunset use the standard 0.833 degree correction.
| Event | Time | Bearing or altitude |
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Enter a date and location, then select Draw sun path.
About this diagram
Positions come from NOAA's solar equations after Meeus, computed entirely in your browser for dates from 1900 to 2100. Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north, so 0 is north, 90 east, 180 south, and 270 west. The plotted curve ignores atmospheric refraction and is typically good to about a degree, while the sunrise and sunset anchors include the standard 0.833 degree correction and are usually within 1 to 2 minutes of published almanac times. Reference arcs use June 21, March 20, and December 21 as nominal solstice and equinox dates. The chart is meant for planning and education, such as siting solar panels or framing a photograph, not for navigation.