Sun position in Canberra

Where the sun stands over Canberra, Australia (-35.2835°, 149.1281°) - today's sunrise, sunset, solar noon, day length and shadow length, plus the sun path across the whole year.

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Updated daily
Local time UTC+11
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Sun times in Canberra on 4 November 2026

Local time in Canberra, UTC+11 (daylight saving time). On 4 April 2027 the clocks go back one hour, so sunrise moves from 07:17 to 06:18.
Sunrise	05:58	rises toward ESE (109°)
Solar noon	12:47	sun 70.0° above the horizon
Sunset	19:36	sets toward WSW (250°)
Day length	13 h 38 min
Civil dawn	05:31	first usable light
Civil dusk	20:04	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	05:58–06:33	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	19:01–19:36	warm low light
Shadow at noon	0.36 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for -35.2835°, 149.1281° and refreshed every day. For any other date, an exact azimuth or a shadow drawn on the map, open the interactive sun position map for Canberra.

The sun’s path over Canberra

How high the sun stands and where, from sunrise to sunset: today, at both solstices and at the equinox. The higher a curve climbs, the higher the sun; where a curve meets the bottom line, the sun rises or sets at that compass bearing.

Today, 4 November
21 June
Equinox, March and September
21 December

The sun's altitude against its compass bearing over Canberra. On 21 June the sun rises at 62° (ENE), climbs to 31.3° at solar noon and sets at 298° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 120° (ESE), climbs to 78.2° at solar noon and sets at 240° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Canberra

Sunrise, sunset, day length, noon altitude and noon shadow on the 15th of each month, on the local clock
Month	Sunrise	Sunset	Day length	Noon altitude	Noon shadow
January	06:04	20:21	14 h 16 min	75.9°	0.3 m
February	06:36	19:58	13 h 22 min	67.4°	0.4 m
March	07:02	19:22	12 h 20 min	56.9°	0.7 m
April	06:27	17:40	11 h 12 min	45.0°	1 m
May	06:51	17:08	10 h 17 min	35.9°	1.4 m
June	07:10	16:58	9 h 47 min	31.4°	1.6 m
July	07:10	17:09	9 h 59 min	33.2°	1.5 m
August	06:45	17:32	10 h 47 min	40.6°	1.2 m
September	06:04	17:54	11 h 51 min	51.6°	0.8 m
October	06:21	19:18	12 h 57 min	63.2°	0.5 m
November	05:49	19:47	13 h 58 min	73.2°	0.3 m
December	05:43	20:14	14 h 31 min	78.0°	0.2 m

At the December solstice the midday sun reaches 78.2° above the horizon in Canberra and the day lasts 14 h 33 min. At the June solstice the sun climbs only to 31.3° and the day shrinks to 9 h 46 min. That difference is what decides whether a garden, a window or a solar array sees the sun in winter. The noon shadow column gives the length of the shadow of anything one metre tall.

Canberra through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	22 December	14 h 33 min, 05:46–20:18
Shortest day	21 June	9 h 46 min, 07:12–16:58
Earliest sunrise	3 October	05:38
Latest sunrise	4 April	07:18
Earliest sunset	12 June	16:58
Latest sunset	6 January	20:22
Highest midday sun	22 December	78.2°
Lowest midday sun	21 June	31.3°
Sunrise direction	through the year	62° ENE (21 June) to 120° ESE (22 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	240° WSW (21 December) to 298° WNW (21 June)

At solar noon the sun in Canberra always stands due north, so the north side of a building, a garden or a roof is the one that gets the sun.
The longest day in Canberra is 4 h 46 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 2.2 minutes a day.

The winter solstice 2026: the moment, and the shortest and the longest day, city by city →

When the days start getting longer: the earliest sunset, the latest sunrise and lighter evenings, city by city →

Planning around the sun in Canberra

Solar panels

At 35.3° S a fixed array facing due north collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 30°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates -35.2835°, 149.1281° for the exact optimum, the seasonal optima and the loss from an east or west facing roof.

Buying a flat or a plot

At the June solstice the noon sun in Canberra sits 31.3° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 1.6 times its own height at midday. Check what stands to the north before you commit: place the building on the map and read the shaded hours for 21 June.

Photography

Golden hour runs 05:58–06:33 in the morning and 19:01–19:36 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (250°). The golden hour calculator gives the same windows for any date, and the map’s alignment finder shows the days when the setting sun lines up with a street.

More on planning around the sun: which way a house, garden or balcony should face, how long golden hour lasts and why the earliest sunset comes before the shortest day.

Other cities

Near Canberra

On the same latitude

Canberra lies at 35.3° S. On the same parallel the longest and the shortest day last just as long and the noon sun climbs just as high, whatever the clocks say there:

Sunrise and sunset in all 15 cities in Australia →

See all cities with sun position data →

Questions

Sun questions about Canberra

What time is sunrise and sunset in Canberra today?

On 4 November 2026 the sun rises at 05:58 and sets at 19:36 in Canberra (UTC+11), giving 13 h 38 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Canberra today?

Solar noon is at 12:47, when the sun stands due north, 70.0° above the horizon. It is the middle of the day by the sun and the moment shadows are shortest.

When is the longest day of the year in Canberra?

On 22 December, with 14 h 33 min between sunrise at 05:46 and sunset at 20:18.

When is the shortest day of the year in Canberra?

On 21 June, with 9 h 46 min between sunrise at 07:12 and sunset at 16:58.

How high does the sun get in Canberra?

At solar noon the sun reaches 78.2° on 22 December, its highest of the year, and only 31.3° on 21 June. Today it climbs to 70.0°.

In which direction does the sun rise and set in Canberra?

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 62° (ENE) and 120° (ESE), and sunset between 240° (WSW) and 298° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Canberra?

Facing due north (azimuth 0°) at a tilt of about 30° for the most energy over a year. A steeper tilt favours the winter months and a flatter one the summer.

When is the earliest sunset in Canberra?

On 12 June at 16:58, 9 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 30 June at 07:13, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Canberra?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 June, but slowly at first: by 30 June the day is only 2 minutes longer, by 31 July 34 minutes longer and by 31 August 1 h 32 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 12 June.

What time does it get dark in Canberra in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 20:03 and the sky is dark by about 20:32, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 20:21 and darkness at about 20:51.