Below, find an interactive solar noon calculator that pinpoints when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky for a given location and date. See precise solar noon time, how far it differs from clock noon (12:00), and the sun's maximum altitude angle with (convenient!) annual table views.
Using the solar noon calculator
The solar noon calculator detects your location (with permission) or lets you search through a city database with autocomplete. Alternatively, enter a latitude and longitude directly.
Results update automatically, and clicking any calculated time copies it to your clipboard for easy sharing.
Basic solar tracking features
- Solar Noon Time: The exact time the sun crosses your local meridian (highest point in the sky for the day)
- Offset from 12:00: Shows how far solar noon differs from clock noon (which varies based on your date and longitude)
- Maximum Sun Altitude: The sun's highest angle above the horizon at solar noon
- Live Countdown: When viewing today's date, see a real-time countdown to solar noon
- Location Search: Type city names or coordinates (or add your device location) from 150,000+ locations
Click any time to copy it - the copy button turns green to confirm it worked.
Annual data and export
- Annual Table View: Click Show Annual Table to see solar noon times for every day of the year
- CSV Export: Download your data for spreadsheet analysis with the Export CSV button
- Quick Reference: Shows yesterday's and tomorrow's solar noon times for context
What is solar noon?
Solar noon (also called sun transit) is the moment when the sun crosses your local meridian, the imaginary line running north-south through your location. At this instant, the sun reaches the highest point in the sky for the day and casts the shortest shadows. You know, assuming you don't hop on a plane or something immediately after.
Unlike clock noon (12:00 PM), solar noon varies throughout the year. This happens because Earth's orbit isn't perfectly circular and our planet tilts on a roughly 23.5 degree axis. These factors create the equation of time - the difference between solar time and clock time.
Sun calculation sources
- Sun positions use the SunCalc library. Calculations account for atmospheric refraction, latitude and longitude, and date. Times are typically accurate to within 1-2 minutes of official NOAA tables.
- Cities Database: Geographic data from cities.json, sourced from GeoNames Gazetteer.
Related sun and astronomy tools
Track more than just solar noon with these related calculators:
- Sunrise Sunset Calculator - Daily sun times and golden hour
- Sun Path Diagram Generator - Visual sun tracking across the sky
- Sun Angle Calculator - Hour-by-hour sun angles and shadows
- Daylight Hours Graph - Seasonal daylight patterns
- Solar Panel Angle Calculator - Optimize panel positioning
- Golden Hour Calculator - Photography planning
- Twilight Calculator - Civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight
- Blue Hour Calculator - Perfect twilight photography timing
- Solar Tracker Map - Real-time sun and moon positions
- Day Night World Map - Global terminator line
- Moon Phase Calculator - Track lunar cycles
- World Clock - Live time in major cities
Whether you're optimizing solar panels or merely curious about when the sun reaches its daily peak, this calculator gives you the precise timing of when to look up.
Theoretically, of course. You shouldn't stare at the sun.
