Solar Noon Calculator
The exact moment the sun peaks in your sky — with altitude and shadow length for any object height. Computed in your browser.
Times shown in your local timezone.
40.7128°N, 74.0060°W on 2026-10-08
Why solar noon matters
- Solar panels: peak production window — verify the array is unshaded at this time.
- Photography: harshest light of the day — plan around it, not into it.
- Sundials: a properly aligned sundial reads exactly 12:00 at solar noon.
- Gardens & shade planning: the noon shadow ratio shows the minimum shade any object casts all day.
- Navigation trivia: a shadow at solar noon points due north/south (outside the tropics).
Quick Answer
Solar noon is the moment the sun crosses your meridian and reaches its highest point in the sky — true local noon. This calculator finds solar noon for any date and location with the NOAA solar algorithm, shows the sun's altitude at that moment, and computes shadow-length ratios (shadow length ÷ object height) so you can plan solar panels, photography, sundials, or shade.
How It Works
Enter your location — search a place, type coordinates, or tap Locate
Pick a date (today is preselected)
Enter an object height to get its noon shadow length
Read solar noon time, sun altitude, and shadow ratio instantly
Key Facts
- Exact solar noon time for any date and location
- Sun altitude at solar noon (highest point of the day)
- Shadow ratio and shadow length for any object height
- Sunrise and sunset alongside for context
- Explains why solar noon rarely falls at 12:00 clock time
- NOAA solar algorithm — accurate to within a couple of minutes
- 100% client-side: no uploads, no accounts
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is solar noon today?
Solar noon depends on your longitude, the date (because of Earth's uneven orbital speed), your time zone's offset, and daylight saving time. Enter your location above and the exact time appears instantly — for most people it lands between 11:00 and 13:30 clock time, rarely exactly 12:00.
Why is solar noon not at 12:00?
Clock time is an average across a whole time zone, but solar time depends on your exact longitude — every degree east of the zone's reference meridian moves solar noon 4 minutes earlier. On top of that, Earth's tilted axis and elliptical orbit make the sun run up to ~16 minutes fast or slow through the year (the equation of time), and daylight saving shifts clocks an hour.
How do I use the shadow ratio?
At solar noon the sun is at its highest, so shadows are at their shortest. The shadow ratio is shadow length divided by object height — a ratio of 2 means a 6-foot person casts a 12-foot shadow. Multiply the ratio by any object's height to get its noon shadow length. This is useful for solar-panel shading checks, garden sun planning, and sundial design.
Is solar noon the best time for solar panels?
Solar noon is when sunlight is strongest and passes through the least atmosphere, so it is the peak production moment for a properly angled panel. But the ideal fixed tilt is set by your latitude, not the clock. Use the solar noon time to know when to check that your array is unshaded and producing at maximum.