Find solar noon and the Sun’s calculated maximum altitude for the selected location and date. Solar noon is a local solar event, so it does not have to occur at 12:00 PM on your clock.
Solar results
Why solar noon moves on the clock
Civil time is shared across a time zone, while the Sun’s apparent motion follows longitude. Two towns in the same zone can have different solar-noon times. Earth’s orbital motion and axial tilt also create a seasonal difference between apparent solar time and uniform clock time, known as the equation of time.
Daylight saving adds a separate clock adjustment. A solar noon near 1 PM during part of the year is not evidence that the Sun is running late; it reflects how the local clock is defined.
What happens around solar noon?
In its astronomical sense, solar noon is the Sun’s upper crossing of the local meridian. For ordinary sunrise-to-sunset days, it is very close to the time of maximum solar altitude. The tool estimates that daily maximum and reports its time and direction.
This distinction matters at extreme latitudes, where the Sun’s altitude can vary unusually across a civil day. The calculator’s maximum-altitude estimate should not be treated as a precision meridian-transit service. The methodology explains the implementation.
Use noon to understand the daily light pattern
A vertical object’s shadow on level ground is generally shortest around the daily altitude maximum. That makes solar noon useful for understanding the middle of the Sun’s path, but the shadow still depends on the object’s shape and the ground surface.
The Sun’s noon direction is not universally south. It is commonly south outside the northern tropics and north outside the southern tropics. Within the tropics, its direction changes with the season and can pass close to overhead.
Solar noon is not the hottest time of day
Solar position and air temperature are different quantities. Land, buildings and air take time to gain and lose heat, so the warmest part of a day often follows solar noon. Wind, cloud and local conditions can change that pattern.
Likewise, noon altitude alone does not give a UV index or the output of a solar panel. Those require additional atmospheric, environmental or equipment information that this solar-time tool does not calculate.
Frequently asked questions
Is solar noon halfway between sunrise and sunset?
It is often close on an ordinary day, but that midpoint is an approximation. The Sun’s changing position and the event definitions mean the two methods need not give exactly the same time.
Why does solar noon differ between nearby cities?
Longitude shifts local solar timing even when cities share a time zone. Locations farther west generally reach the corresponding solar position later. Date and time-zone rules also affect the displayed clock time.
Will my shadow disappear at solar noon?
Only if the Sun is directly overhead and the object’s geometry allows it. Most locations do not have an overhead Sun. A short shadow is not the same as no shadow.
Does the solar-noon card follow a future selected date?
Yes. Its time, maximum altitude and direction follow the selected date. This differs from the current Sun-position cards elsewhere on the site, which continue to describe the present moment.