Reading the timeline
The bar runs from midnight to midnight in the location's time zone. Colors follow the Sun's altitude: night (below −18°), astronomical, nautical and civil twilight, the blue hour (−6° to −4°), the golden hour (horizon to +6°) and full daylight. The white line marks the current moment.
Times are calculated in your browser from the Sun's position (the same method as NOAA-style solar calculators). They assume a flat horizon at sea level, so mountains, buildings and altitude can shift what you actually see by a few minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Why is day length not exactly 12 hours on the equinox?
Sunrise and sunset are counted when the top edge of the Sun touches the horizon, and the atmosphere bends sunlight over the horizon. Together these add several minutes, so equinox days are slightly longer than 12 hours.
What is solar noon?
The moment the Sun is highest in the sky and due south (or north in the southern hemisphere). It is rarely exactly 12:00 because of time zone boundaries, daylight saving time and the shape of Earth's orbit.
What happens near the poles?
In summer the Sun may never set (midnight sun) and in winter it may never rise (polar night). The tool says so instead of showing a time.