Sun position in Christchurch

Where the sun stands over Christchurch, New Zealand (-43.5333°, 172.6333°) - 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+13
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Sun times in Christchurch on 4 November 2026

Local time in Christchurch, UTC+13 (daylight saving time). On 4 April 2027 the clocks go back one hour, so sunrise moves from 07:48 to 06:49.
Sunrise	06:08	rises toward ESE (112°)
Solar noon	13:13	sun 61.8° above the horizon
Sunset	20:19	sets toward WSW (248°)
Day length	14 h 11 min
Civil dawn	05:37	first usable light
Civil dusk	20:50	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	06:08–06:48	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	19:39–20:19	warm low light
Shadow at noon	0.54 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for -43.5333°, 172.6333° 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 Christchurch.

The sun’s path over Christchurch

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 Christchurch. On 21 June the sun rises at 58° (ENE), climbs to 23.0° at solar noon and sets at 302° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 124° (SE), climbs to 69.9° at solar noon and sets at 236° (SW).

The sun through the year in Christchurch

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	06:07	21:10	15 h 03 min	67.6°	0.4 m
February	06:49	20:38	13 h 49 min	59.2°	0.6 m
March	07:25	19:51	12 h 26 min	48.7°	0.9 m
April	07:02	17:57	10 h 55 min	36.8°	1.3 m
May	07:36	17:15	9 h 39 min	27.6°	1.9 m
June	08:01	16:59	8 h 58 min	23.2°	2.3 m
July	07:58	17:13	9 h 14 min	24.9°	2.2 m
August	07:25	17:44	10 h 19 min	32.4°	1.6 m
September	06:32	18:18	11 h 45 min	43.4°	1.1 m
October	06:39	19:53	13 h 14 min	54.9°	0.7 m
November	05:55	20:33	14 h 38 min	64.9°	0.5 m
December	05:42	21:06	15 h 24 min	69.7°	0.4 m

At the December solstice the midday sun reaches 69.9° above the horizon in Christchurch and the day lasts 15 h 26 min. At the June solstice the sun climbs only to 23.0° and the day shrinks to 8 h 56 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.

Christchurch through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	22 December	15 h 26 min, 05:45–21:11
Shortest day	21 June	8 h 56 min, 08:03–16:59
Earliest sunrise	10 December	05:42
Latest sunrise	28 June	08:04
Earliest sunset	15 June	16:59
Latest sunset	2 January	21:14
Highest midday sun	22 December	69.9°
Lowest midday sun	21 June	23.0°
Sunrise direction	through the year	58° ENE (22 June) to 124° SE (22 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	236° SW (22 December) to 302° WNW (21 June)

At solar noon the sun in Christchurch always stands due north, so the north side of a building, a garden or a roof is the one that gets the sun.
The earliest sunset is on 15 June, 6 days before the shortest day (21 June), and the latest sunrise on 28 June, 7 days after it. Solar noon drifts through the year, so the darkest afternoon and the darkest morning do not fall on the shortest day.
The longest day in Christchurch is 6 h 30 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 3.0 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 Christchurch

Solar panels

At 43.5° S a fixed array facing due north collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 36°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates -43.5333°, 172.6333° 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 Christchurch sits 23.0° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 2.4 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 06:08–06:48 in the morning and 19:39–20:19 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (248°). 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 Christchurch

On the same latitude

Christchurch lies at 43.5° 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:

Sun position in HobartAustralia • 42.9° S

Sunrise and sunset in all 6 cities in New Zealand →

See all cities with sun position data →

Questions

Sun questions about Christchurch

What time is sunrise and sunset in Christchurch today?

On 4 November 2026 the sun rises at 06:08 and sets at 20:19 in Christchurch (UTC+13), giving 14 h 11 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Christchurch today?

Solar noon is at 13:13, when the sun stands due north, 61.8° 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 Christchurch?

On 22 December, with 15 h 26 min between sunrise at 05:45 and sunset at 21:11.

When is the shortest day of the year in Christchurch?

On 21 June, with 8 h 56 min between sunrise at 08:03 and sunset at 16:59.

How high does the sun get in Christchurch?

At solar noon the sun reaches 69.9° on 22 December, its highest of the year, and only 23.0° on 21 June. Today it climbs to 61.8°.

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

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 58° (ENE) and 124° (SE), and sunset between 236° (SW) and 302° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Christchurch?

Facing due north (azimuth 0°) at a tilt of about 36° 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 Christchurch?

On 15 June at 16:59, 6 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 28 June at 08:04, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Christchurch?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 June, but slowly at first: by 30 June the day is only 2 minutes longer, by 31 July 47 minutes longer and by 31 August 2 h 06 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 15 June.

What time does it get dark in Christchurch in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 20:53 and the sky is dark by about 21:28, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 21:13 and darkness at about 21:49.