Sun Angle (Solar Elevation) Calculator

About this calculator

This calculator finds the solar elevation angle — how many degrees the sun sits above the horizon — using the standard solar-position equation sin(elevation) = sin(lat)·sin(dec) + cos(lat)·cos(dec)·cos(hour angle), where declination is derived from the day of the year (the sun's apparent north-south position swings between about +23.45° at the summer solstice and −23.45° at the winter solstice) and the hour angle comes from solar time relative to solar noon.

Solar elevation, together with the solar declination it depends on, is the basis for sizing photovoltaic panel tilt angles, predicting when and how far shadows fall from buildings and trees, and planning the warm low-angle "golden hour" light photographers chase. Architects, solar installers and photographers all rely on this same geometry, just for different purposes.