Free tool
Sunrise and sunset calculator
Sunrise, sunset and civil twilight at any airport, in local time. The FAA defines night three different ways, and they do not start at the same time.
Enter an airport for automatic coordinates, or type a latitude and longitude.
Times are computed for the selected timezone and are accurate to a minute or two, less at high latitude. They are a planning aid, not a legal source.
How this works
- The gap between the three windows
- At mid-latitudes in the US, civil twilight lasts about 30 to 35 minutes after sunset. That means position lights come on at sunset (91.209), but loggable night does not start for another half hour (14 CFR 1.1). The passenger-carrying window (61.57(b)) starts a full hour after sunset — the widest of the three. A flight departing at sunset and landing 45 minutes later requires position lights the entire time, does not log any night, and falls outside the passenger-currency window entirely. At Anchorage in June the gap between sunset and the end of civil twilight stretches past an hour.
- What you can see at each stage of twilight
- At sunset the horizon is sharp and ground features are fully visible. During civil twilight (sun 0–6° below) the sky dims but you can still see the ground, read a sectional on your kneeboard, and pick out landmarks. Nautical twilight (6–12° below) is too dark to see the horizon at sea — hence the name — and ground features fade to outlines. By astronomical twilight (12–18° below) only city lights are visible from the air. The FAA chose civil twilight for the night definition because it marks the point where unaided ground reference navigation stops working.
- Polar latitudes
- Above the Arctic Circle and below the Antarctic Circle the sun can stay above or below the horizon for a full day. When that happens there is no sunrise or sunset to report. At high latitudes the sun crosses the horizon at a shallow angle. The calculator gives less precise times there: up to three minutes for sunrise and five minutes for twilight.
FAR night definitions
Three Federal Aviation Regulations reference different start and end times for night. The windows overlap but are not the same.
| FAR | Rule | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 CFR 91.209 | Position lights required | Sunset | Sunrise |
| 14 CFR 1.1 (Night) | Loggable night time | End of evening civil twilight | Start of morning civil twilight |
| 14 CFR 61.57(b) | Recent experience for pax at night | 1 hour after sunset | 1 hour before sunrise |
Frequently asked questions
- What is civil twilight?
- Civil twilight is the period after sunset (or before sunrise) when the sun is between 0 and 6 degrees below the horizon. Natural light is still enough to see outdoors without artificial lighting. Civil twilight ends when the sun passes 6 degrees below the horizon.
- Why does the FAA have three definitions of night?
- Each definition serves a different purpose. Position lights protect visibility between sunset and sunrise. Loggable night time measures pilot experience between the ends of civil twilight. The passenger-carrying window (1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise) adds a buffer so the pilot is current in actual darkness.
- When do I turn on position lights?
- 14 CFR 91.209 requires position lights from sunset to sunrise. The exact times depend on the airport's latitude and the date. This tool shows both times for any airport.
- What counts as night for logging flight time?
- The FAA defines night as the period from the end of evening civil twilight to the beginning of morning civil twilight (14 CFR 1.1). This is later than sunset and earlier than sunrise. A pilot can fly after sunset and before civil twilight ends without logging night time.
- How do I know if I need night currency to carry passengers?
- 14 CFR 61.57(b) requires three takeoffs and landings to a full stop within the preceding 90 days. The period runs from 1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise. This window is narrower than loggable night and wider than the position-lights requirement.
- Why do sunrise and sunset times vary by location?
- The sun's angle at the horizon depends on latitude, longitude, and the date. Near the equator, sunset changes by only a few minutes across the year. At high latitudes, the difference between summer and winter sunset can exceed 6 hours. The calculator uses the airport's exact coordinates.
- What are the three types of twilight?
- Civil twilight ends when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon. Natural light is still enough to see outdoors. Nautical twilight ends at 12 degrees below the horizon. The horizon is no longer visible at sea. Astronomical twilight ends at 18 degrees below. The sky is fully dark. The FAA uses civil twilight for its definition of night (14 CFR 1.1). The other two matter for celestial navigation and astronomy, not for logging flight time.Civil0–6°Nautical6–12°Astro12–18°
- Can I log night time right after sunset?
- No. Loggable night starts at the end of evening civil twilight, not at sunset. At mid-latitudes in the US, civil twilight lasts about 30 to 35 minutes after sunset. A flight that departs at sunset and lands 20 minutes later may happen entirely in daylight for logging purposes, even though the sun has set. The position-lights requirement (14 CFR 91.209) does start at sunset, so the lights must be on during that gap even though the time is not loggable as night.
- How long does civil twilight last?
- The duration depends on latitude and the time of year. Near the equator, civil twilight lasts about 20 to 25 minutes year-round because the sun drops nearly vertically. At mid-latitudes (30 to 45 degrees), it lasts 25 to 40 minutes. Above 50 degrees latitude, it can exceed an hour in summer because the sun skims the horizon at a shallow angle. Near the solstices at high latitudes, the sun may never drop 6 degrees below the horizon, and civil twilight lasts all night.
Not a substitute for an official pre-flight weather briefing.