Important! Please read the Notes section.
This page provides a way for you to obtain a table of the times of sunrise/sunset, moonrise/moonset, or the beginning and end of twilight, for any year between 1700 and 2100.
You can obtain a table for any location worldwide by following these simple steps:
- Decide on which form to use. If you want a table for cities or towns in the U.S. or its territories, use Form A below. For other locations, use Form B below.
- Enter the year (1700 - 2100) for which the table is desired.
- Select the table type (sunrise/sunset, moonrise/moonset, etc.) from the pop-up list in the form that you are using.
- Specify the location of interest using the fields provided on the form.
- Click the "Compute Table" button at the end of the form to compute the table. The table will provide the data requested in local standard time on a 24-hour clock; for example, 1836 means 6:36 p.m., local standard time.
- Be sure to read Notes section (on this page beyond the two forms) for an explanation of the items in the table.
Form A - U.S. Cities or Towns
Specify year, type of table, and place:
Form B - Locations Worldwide
Specify year, type of table, and place:
How to Print the Table
The table is 134 characters wide, so to print it you must use landscape orientation and 8-point (smallest) type. Consult your browser's documentation for details on how to change the font/text size. An alternative scheme is to save the table to a file on your computer (for example, in Internet Explorer, click on Page then Save As...), then use your favorite word processor or text editor to print it.
How to Import the Table into a Spreadsheet
Open your favorite text editor, then copy the numerical part of the table (i.e., do not copy the table headings) from your browser and paste it into the text editor. Save the data as a text file.
In Excel 2003, click Data on the menu bar, then Import External Data, then Import Data. Select your saved text file. Choose fixed width in the dialog box. [In Excel 2004 for Mac, the commands are Data -> Get External Data -> Import Text File]
In Excel 2007, click Data on the menu bar, then From Text. Select your saved text file. Choose fixed width in the dialog box.
Definitions
For information on the definitions of rise, set, and twilight, see Rise, Set, and Twilight Definitions in FAQ.
Time Zones
The times of the phenomena are presented in the standard time of the place requested, using the current time zone of the place. Standard time in time zones was introduced in the U.S. in 1883, but the time zone boundaries have evolved considerably since then, with places shifting from one zone to another. There is no attempt here to track such changes.
Daylight Time
Daylight time is not implemented in this program. When daylight time is in use, add one hour to the times listed in the table.
Legal Use of the Data in the Table
Please see Astronomical Data Used for Litigation if you are interested in using for legal purposes the data produced by this service.
Sunset photo taken from Nags Head, North Carolina, by George Kaplan.