EpochLab

Solar Noon Calculator

When is the sun highest?

True solar noon for your location — usually nowhere near 12:00 on the clock — with the sun's altitude at that moment and the shadow length it casts.

Questions people ask

The things that come up about solar noon calculators, answered plainly.

Why is solar noon not at 12:00?

Two reasons. Your longitude is rarely on your zone's central meridian — every degree east or west moves solar noon by four minutes — and the equation of time swings it by up to 16 minutes either way through the year. In western Spain, solar noon in summer is nearer 14:30.

What is the equation of time?

The difference between the sun's actual position and a fictitious mean sun that moves uniformly. It comes from Earth's elliptical orbit and its axial tilt, and it is what makes a sundial run up to 16 minutes fast or 14 minutes slow.

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