What the response contains
Fields worth checking
- Science & Nature
- Sunrise-Sunset results
- public source
Sunrise-Sunset
Science & Nature · Sunrise-Sunset results · public source
Current public response
Load a fresh response from Sunrise-Sunset; no search term is required.
What each time represents
The response brings together sunrise, sunset, solar_noon, day_length, and the boundaries of three twilight periods. sunrise and sunset are the moments when the Sun’s upper edge crosses the horizon; solar_noon is the day’s highest solar position. day_length is in seconds, so it needs converting before being shown as hours and minutes.
- Do not confuse solar_noon with 12:00 on a clock.
- Read day_length as a duration, not a time of day.
- Check status before using result fields in an interface.
Returned timezone and local time
This page uses the /json route with formatted=0. The observed response contains ISO 8601 dates, status OK, and tzid UTC; its times end in +00:00. Before comparing them with a local schedule, convert them to the required timezone or use a source request configured for that timezone. Do not infer local time from a city name alone.
- Show tzid near the times when displaying the original response.
- The +00:00 suffix identifies the UTC offset used in this response.
- Keep the query date when saving or comparing results.
Twilight periods answer different questions
civil_twilight marks the period with enough light for outdoor activity without artificial lighting; nautical_twilight keeps the horizon visible at sea; astronomical_twilight runs until the sky is fully dark. Those boundaries are solar calculations for coordinates and date, not cloud cover, real visibility, traffic, or safety at the place.
- Use the begin and end pair from the same twilight type.
- Do not replace a weather forecast with solar times.
- Confirm local conditions and rules before outdoor activity.