Sunrise is the moment when the upper edge of the sun first appears above the horizon. The time of sunrise changes every day of the year, and it varies significantly depending on where you are in the world. At mid-latitudes, the difference between the earliest and latest sunrise of the year can be three or more hours.
Use the tool on the homepage to see the exact sunrise time for your location today.
Sunrise shifts throughout the year for the same reason we have seasons: Earth orbits the sun on a tilted axis (23.5°). As the planet travels around the sun, different latitudes are tilted toward or away from the sun, changing both the angle of sunlight and the length of the day. Near the summer solstice, sunrise comes very early; near the winter solstice, it arrives late. At the equinoxes in March and September, sunrise is closest to 06:00 local time everywhere on Earth.
Your longitude within your timezone also plays a role. The sun rises earlier in the eastern part of a timezone than the western part — up to an hour earlier in some cases — even though both share the same clock time.
| Month | Earliest sunrise | Latest sunrise |
|---|---|---|
| January | 08:05 | 08:10 |
| February | 07:22 | 08:04 |
| March | 06:05 | 07:22 |
| April | 05:54 | 06:57 * |
| May | 05:03 | 05:54 |
| June | 04:43 | 05:03 |
| July | 04:50 | 05:22 |
| August | 05:23 | 06:12 |
| September | 06:14 | 07:04 |
| October | 07:06 | 07:55 ** |
| November | 07:04 | 07:57 |
| December | 07:58 | 08:06 |
* Clocks spring forward one hour at end of March (BST begins). ** Clocks fall back one hour at end of October (GMT resumes).
At extreme latitudes, sunrise becomes something more dramatic. Above the Arctic Circle (66.5°N), there are days in summer when the sun never sets — so sunrise doesn't happen at all because the sun is always up. In Tromsø, Norway (70°N), the midnight sun lasts from late May to late July. Conversely, in winter the sun never rises above the horizon — polar night — for roughly two months around the winter solstice.
The opposite is true in the Antarctic Circle: midnight sun in December, polar night in June.
Sunrise occurs a few minutes earlier than pure geometry would suggest, because Earth's atmosphere acts as a lens. As sunlight travels through the atmosphere at a low angle, it bends toward Earth's surface — a phenomenon called atmospheric refraction. This bends the sun's image over the horizon before the sun has geometrically risen. The effect adds roughly 2–4 minutes of extra daylight at each end of the day. Refraction is stronger in cold, dense air and weaker in warm, humid conditions, so the exact amount varies.
Natural light at sunrise is one of the strongest signals your body uses to set its internal clock. Morning sunlight — even through clouds — suppresses melatonin and triggers cortisol, helping you feel alert. This is why people living at very high latitudes often struggle with sleep and mood in winter, when sunrise may come at 9 or 10 in the morning or not at all. Getting outside early, or using a light therapy lamp that mimics sunrise, can help maintain a healthy rhythm year-round.
Check the exact sunrise time for your location on the homepage — and explore how it changes across the year using the day-length chart.