Today in Sydney
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Coordinates
| Latitude | -33.8688° |
| Longitude | 151.2093° |
| Timezone | Australia/Sydney |
| Elevation | 58 m |
Sunrise, sunset and sun path in Sydney
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia · -33.8688°, 151.2093° · Australia/Sydney
The sun's path today
you stand at the centre; the rim is your horizonWhat the sun does here through the year
Sydney sits at latitude -33.87°, which sets the whole shape of its year. The longest day runs to 14h 24m and the shortest shrinks to 9h 54m — a swing of 4h 31m between the two solstices.
The sun climbs to 79.6° above the horizon at midsummer noon, but only 32.7° at midwinter. That difference matters more than the daylight hours do, because a low sun is easily blocked: a 2 m fence casts a shadow 3.1 m long at midwinter noon here, against just 0.4 m in June.
Sunrise swings a long way round the horizon through the year. In Sydney the sun comes up at a bearing of 119° (ESE) at the summer solstice and 62° (ENE) at the winter one — a spread of 57°. This is why a window that catches the sunrise in June can sit in shade all winter: the sun is simply rising somewhere else.
For anything you are aiming at the sun — solar panels, a greenhouse, a seating area — the useful rule here is that the sun spends the middle of the day roughly north of you, and reaches its yearly average noon height of about 56°. Panels at 29° facing north are close to the annual optimum at this latitude.
Sunrise and sunset by month in Sydney
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Noon sun | Sunrise bearing | Sunset bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 05:59 | 20:09 | 14h 09m | 77.3° | ESE 116° | WSW 244° |
| February | 06:30 | 19:48 | 13h 18m | 68.9° | ESE 106° | WSW 254° |
| March | 06:54 | 19:14 | 12h 20m | 58.3° | E 93° | W 267° |
| April | 06:17 | 17:32 | 11h 15m | 46.4° | E 79° | W 281° |
| May | 06:40 | 17:02 | 10h 23m | 37.3° | ENE 68° | WNW 292° |
| June | 06:58 | 16:52 | 9h 55m | 32.9° | ENE 62° | WNW 298° |
| July | 06:58 | 17:04 | 10h 06m | 34.6° | ENE 64° | WNW 296° |
| August | 06:34 | 17:25 | 10h 51m | 42.1° | ENE 73° | WNW 286° |
| September | 05:54 | 17:46 | 11h 52m | 53.1° | E 87° | W 273° |
| October | 06:14 | 19:08 | 12h 54m | 64.6° | E 101° | W 259° |
| November | 05:43 | 19:35 | 13h 52m | 74.6° | ESE 113° | WSW 247° |
| December | 05:38 | 20:01 | 14h 23m | 79.4° | ESE 119° | WSW 241° |
Calculated for the 15th of each month in 2026, local time, including daylight saving. Bearings are compass degrees from north.
Frequently asked
What time does the sun rise and set in Sydney?
At the summer solstice the sun rises at 05:40 and sets at 20:05. At the winter solstice it rises at 07:00 and sets at 16:53. All times are local to Australia/Sydney and include daylight saving where it applies.
How high does the sun get in Sydney?
The midday sun reaches 79.6° above the horizon at the summer solstice and 32.7° at the winter solstice. At the equinoxes it sits at 56.3°.
How long is the longest day in Sydney?
14h 24m from sunrise to sunset, against 9h 54m on the shortest day — a difference of 4h 31m.
Want this for your exact address?
These figures are for the centre of Sydney. Sun times shift by only a few seconds per kilometre, so they hold across the whole city — but your own horizon does not. Use the tools to add the buildings, fences and trees that actually block your light.