Sun position in Colombo

Where the sun stands over Colombo, Sri Lanka (6.9355°, 79.8487°) - 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+5:30
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Sun times in Colombo on 4 November 2026

Local time in Colombo, UTC+5:30, with no daylight saving time.
Sunrise	05:58	rises toward ESE (105°)
Solar noon	11:54	sun 67.7° above the horizon
Sunset	17:50	sets toward WSW (255°)
Day length	11 h 52 min
Civil dawn	05:37	first usable light
Civil dusk	18:12	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	05:58–06:27	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	17:21–17:50	warm low light
Shadow at noon	0.41 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for 6.9355°, 79.8487° 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 Colombo.

The sun’s path over Colombo

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 Colombo. On 21 June the sun rises at 66° (ENE), climbs to 73.5° at solar noon and sets at 294° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 114° (ESE), climbs to 59.6° at solar noon and sets at 246° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Colombo

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	06:27	18:13	11 h 46 min	62.0°	0.5 m
February	06:28	18:22	11 h 54 min	70.4°	0.4 m
March	06:17	18:22	12 h 05 min	81.0°	0.2 m
April	06:03	18:19	12 h 16 min	87.1°	0.0 m
May	05:54	18:20	12 h 26 min	78.0°	0.2 m
June	05:55	18:27	12 h 31 min	73.6°	0.3 m
July	06:02	18:31	12 h 29 min	75.4°	0.3 m
August	06:05	18:25	12 h 21 min	82.9°	0.1 m
September	06:01	18:11	12 h 09 min	86.1°	0.1 m
October	05:57	17:56	11 h 58 min	74.5°	0.3 m
November	06:01	17:49	11 h 49 min	64.6°	0.5 m
December	06:14	17:57	11 h 44 min	59.8°	0.6 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 73.5° above the horizon in Colombo and the day lasts 12 h 32 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 59.6° and the day shrinks to 11 h 43 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.

Colombo through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	21 June	12 h 32 min, 05:57–18:28
Shortest day	22 December	11 h 43 min, 06:17–18:01
Earliest sunrise	26 May	05:53
Latest sunrise	31 January	06:29
Earliest sunset	13 November	17:49
Latest sunset	15 July	18:31
Highest midday sun	7 April	89.9°, straight overhead
Lowest midday sun	22 December	59.6°
Sunrise direction	through the year	66° ENE (21 June) to 114° ESE (22 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	246° WSW (21 December) to 294° WNW (21 June)

From 8 April to 4 September the midday sun stands north of the zenith, and the rest of the year to the south: in Colombo even a north-facing window gets the noon sun for part of the year.
The sun passes straight overhead at solar noon on 7 April and 5 September: for a moment upright posts, people and buildings cast no shadow at all.
Sunset in Colombo moves more with the drift of solar noon than with the seasons: the earliest is at 17:49 on 13 November and the latest at 18:31 on 15 July.
Day length barely changes in Colombo: the longest day is only 48 minutes longer than the shortest.

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 Colombo

Solar panels

At 6.9° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 8°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 6.9355°, 79.8487° 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 December solstice the noon sun in Colombo sits 59.6° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 0.6 times its own height at midday. Check what stands to the south before you commit: place the building on the map and read the shaded hours for 21 December.

Photography

Golden hour runs 05:58–06:27 in the morning and 17:21–17:50 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (255°). 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 Colombo

On the same latitude

Colombo lies at 6.9° N. 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:

See all cities with sun position data →

Questions

Sun questions about Colombo

What time is sunrise and sunset in Colombo today?

On 4 November 2026 the sun rises at 05:58 and sets at 17:50 in Colombo (UTC+5:30), giving 11 h 52 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Colombo today?

Solar noon is at 11:54, when the sun stands due south, 67.7° 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 Colombo?

On 21 June, with 12 h 32 min between sunrise at 05:57 and sunset at 18:28.

When is the shortest day of the year in Colombo?

On 22 December, with 11 h 43 min between sunrise at 06:17 and sunset at 18:01.

How high does the sun get in Colombo?

At solar noon the sun reaches 89.9° on 7 April, its highest of the year, and only 59.6° on 22 December. Today it climbs to 67.7°.

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

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 66° (ENE) and 114° (ESE), and sunset between 246° (WSW) and 294° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Colombo?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 8° for the most energy over a year. A steeper tilt favours the winter months and a flatter one the summer.

When is the sun directly overhead in Colombo?

At solar noon on 7 April and 5 September. On those days upright objects cast no shadow at midday.