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Sunrise
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Sunrise

Updated in 14.1

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gives the time of the next sunrise for the current date and location.

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Sunrise[datespec]

gives the times of the next sunrise for the specified dates.

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Sunrise[locationspec]

gives the times of the next sunrise for the specified locations.

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Sunrise[locationspec,datespec]

gives the time of the next sunrise for the specified date and location.

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Sunrise[{{location1,date1},{location2,date2},…}]

gives the times of the next sunrise for all specified locations on the specified dates.

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Sunrise[locationspec,datespec,func]

uses func to determine what to return for extended locations.

Details and Options

  • Sunrise, also known as sunup, is defined as the instant of time when the upper rim of the Sun's disk appears to make contact with the horizon as it is rising.
  • The observation location can be any point on the surface of a body in the solar system, defining the local horizon.
  • Locations can be specified as Entity objects, assuming they represent objects with geographic coordinates, or they can be latitude/longitude pairs, assuming degrees as units.
  • Sunrise[] makes use of $GeoLocation and $TimeZone to determine your location and time zone.
  • datespec can be a DateObject expression, a TimeObject expression, a date string or a {y,m,d,h,m,s} date list.
  • datespec is assumed to be in $TimeZone, unless it is a DateObject or TimeObject expression with an explicit TimeZone option value.
  • locationspec and datespec can be either individual items or lists of them.
  • If datespec is a list of dates, then the results will contain EventSeries objects.
  • datespec can be specified as {start,end,increment} for compatibility with DateRange specifications.
  • Sunrise[…,func] is used to specify the format of output when extended locations are specified.
  • Possible settings for func include:
  • Automaticreturns intervals for extended locations only
    Intervalreturns intervals for all specified locations
    Meanreturns mean value for extended locations
    Minreturns minimum values for extended locations
    Maxreturns maximum values for extended locations
    StandardDeviationreturns standard deviation for extended locations
  • Sunrise[TimeZone->z] gives the date of the next sunrise with date and time inferred for time zone z by assuming that your computer is set for the time zone specified by $TimeZone.
  • Sunrise[TimeDirection->-1] gives the date of the last sunrise.
  • Sunrise can accept the following options:
  • ReferenceAltitude Automaticaltitude value defining the instant of rise/set
    TimeDirection 1whether to return the next or last Sunrise
    TimeZone $TimeZonetime zone to be used for dates
  • Possible settings for TimeDirection include:
  • 1returns the next sunrise from the specified date
    -1returns the last sunrise from the specified date
  • Possible values of the ReferenceAltitude option include:
  • Automaticupper limb of the Sun crosses zero altitude
    altcenter of the Sun crosses numeric altitude alt
    {alt,limb}the given limb of the Sun crosses numeric altitude alt
  • The reference altitude angle alt can be given as a Quantity angle or as a numeric expression interpreted in angular degrees. These are the traditional values of reference altitude:
  • "Civil"the center of the Sun has altitude –6 degrees
    "Nautical"the center of the Sun has altitude –12 degrees
    "Astronomical"the center of the Sun has altitude –18 degrees
  • Possible values for the limb of the Sun include:
  • "UpperLimb"upper limb of the Sun
    "Center"central point of the Sun
    "LowerLimb"lower limb of the Sun
    limbnumeric value between –1 (lower limb) and 1 (upper limb)
  • Calculations are based on atmospheric refraction models that cannot be accurately predicted. This, combined with local topography deviations, can result in errors on the order of several minutes from actual observed times.

Examples

open allclose all

Basic Examples  (6)Summary of the most common use cases

Compute the next sunrise for your current location:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-etsbfd
Out[1]=1

Compute the next sunrise after a specified date:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-bv5fc0
Out[1]=1

Compute the next sunrise for a specified location:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-frupmt
Out[1]=1

Compute the next sunrise for a specified latitude/longitude and date:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-k5huuj
Out[1]=1

Compute the next sunrise for a specified city and date:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-bild8d
Out[1]=1

Generate the time of the next sunrise:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-ggnw8l
Out[1]=1

Scope  (13)Survey of the scope of standard use cases

Dates  (4)

Dates can be specified as a DateObject:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-vhcefo
Out[1]=1

Dates can be specified as a date string:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-zbahi
Out[1]=1

Dates can be specified as a TimeObject:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-ewvxdv
Out[1]=1

Generate the next sunrise for a range of dates:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-g0c68v
Out[1]=1

Locations  (7)

Locations can be latitude/longitude pairs:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-mmgexd
Out[1]=1

Locations can include elevation:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-chyss5
Out[1]=1

Cities are treated as single, specific locations:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-gzg19x
Out[1]=1

Results for extended locations are intervals, by default:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-wqynpq
Out[1]=1

The form of the results for extended locations can be overridden:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-kvgc4s
Out[1]=1

Locations can also be off Earth:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-cb3zbt
Out[1]=1

Generate the next sunrise for multiple locations:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-ur769m
Out[1]=1

Time Zones  (2)

Express the next sunrise at your geo location in the GMT time zone:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-bo374y
Out[1]=1

Find the sunrise for a specified location and time in GMT:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-cw7ohi
Out[1]=1

Options  (4)Common values & functionality for each option

ReferenceAltitude  (2)

By default, Sunrise reports the instant when the upper limb of the Sun has altitude zero:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-5fz330
Out[1]=1

Therefore, the actual center of the body is below the horizon:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-o20s3w
Out[2]=2
In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-nk6yf4
Out[3]=3

Use a specific value of altitude and choice of limb:

In[4]:=4
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-jc97d3
Out[4]=4
In[5]:=5
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-uf0anv
Out[5]=5
In[6]:=6
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-uhaagu
Out[6]=6

Find the next date of sunrise, by default using the horizon and the upper limb of the Sun:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-jm8ox8
Out[1]=1

Use the same horizon at zero apparent altitude, but now comparing to the center of the Sun:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-0re96x
Out[2]=2

Find the starting time of civil, nautical and astronomical twilight, all defined by the center of the Sun:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-zyw1ji
Out[3]=3
In[4]:=4
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-kob4xs
Out[4]=4
In[5]:=5
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-qdttdk
Out[5]=5

TimeZone  (1)

Find the sunrise in Greenwich, United Kingdom:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-bkzw2u
Out[1]=1

TimeDirection  (1)

Find the last sunrise for your location:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-ckrn5
Out[1]=1

Applications  (2)Sample problems that can be solved with this function

Next sunrise from the capital cities of South America:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-h38uu
Out[1]=1

Determine your final location if you walk toward the Sun from sunrise to sunset at a constant speed:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-47ugf6

Iterate the bearing in 10-minute increments to obtain a new course and destination:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-hvg1om

Visualize the resulting path:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-dlf24m
Out[3]=3

Find the distance between the starting and ending points:

In[4]:=4
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-ikzvgm
Out[4]=4

Properties & Relations  (3)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions

By default, location is specified by $GeoLocation and the date is specified by the current date:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-x72irg
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-cx7drs
Out[2]=2

Results are in the form of an EventSeries when a range of dates is specified:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-rfwbr
Out[1]=1

Calculate the next sunrise, defined as when the upper edge of the Sun's apparent disk touches the horizon:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-lamzq
Out[1]=1

Find the position of the center of the Sun at that time:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-jfk5zk
Out[2]=2

The altitude of the Sun corresponds to its angular radius:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-kiaai5
Out[3]=3

Eliminating atmospheric refraction effects, the true position of the Sun is revealed to be even further below the horizon at sunrise:

In[4]:=4
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-te9ke
Out[4]=4

Possible Issues  (3)Common pitfalls and unexpected behavior

Since the value of $TimeZone may change throughout the year, the results for specified dates may vary depending on when you evaluate the input:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-bpk2jc
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-hcb3tk
Out[2]=2

If the above behavior is a concern, the TimeZone option can be used to enforce a consistent value:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-gs73ey
Out[3]=3

With Sunrise[locationspec,Interval], results for specific locations are coerced into intervals:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-ex0nzz
Out[1]=1

Sunrise returns values taking into account atmospheric refraction effects:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-b0a825
Out[1]=1

These effects are especially large near the horizon, but the effects are turned off a few degrees below the horizon:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-twz7q
Out[2]=2

Use the "TrueAltitude" method to deactivate atmospheric refraction and compare with the previous result:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-ccwfjk
Out[3]=3

Neat Examples  (4)Surprising or curious use cases

Plot the position of the Sun for your location between sunrise and sunset for the solstices and equinox:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-btu0lb
Out[1]=1

Generate a map of Italy with the illumination set for sunrise:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-gmwjxz
Out[1]=1

Generate a table of sunrises for the capital cities in Europe and display only the first and last five:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-4onv67
Out[1]=1

Plot the length of daylight throughout a given year:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-bbelwt
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-gx0luw
In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0puplvehwe-d9vv4a
Out[3]=3
Wolfram Research (2014), Sunrise, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html (updated 2024).
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Wolfram Research (2014), Sunrise, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html (updated 2024).

Text

Wolfram Research (2014), Sunrise, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html (updated 2024).

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Wolfram Research (2014), Sunrise, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html (updated 2024).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2014. "Sunrise." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2024. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html.

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Wolfram Language. 2014. "Sunrise." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2024. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2014). Sunrise. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html

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Wolfram Language. (2014). Sunrise. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_sunrise, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Sunrise}", year="2024", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html}", note=[Accessed: 02-April-2025 ]}

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@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_sunrise, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Sunrise}", year="2024", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html}", note=[Accessed: 02-April-2025 ]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_sunrise, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Sunrise}, year={2024}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html}, note=[Accessed: 02-April-2025 ]}

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@online{reference.wolfram_2025_sunrise, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Sunrise}, year={2024}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Sunrise.html}, note=[Accessed: 02-April-2025 ]}