1.

first calculate the day of the year

2. convert the longitude to hour value and calculate an approximate time
3. calculate the Sun's mean anomaly
4. calculate the Sun's true longitude
5a. calculate the Sun's right ascension
5b. right ascension value needs to be in the same quadrant as L
5c. right ascension value needs to be converted into hours
6. calculate the Sun's declination
7a. calculate the Sun's local hour angle
7b. finish calculating H and convert into hours
8. calculate local mean time of rising/setting
9. adjust back to UTC
10. convert UT value to local time zone of latitude/longitude

Sunrise/Sunset Algorithm Example

Source:

Inputs:

Almanac for Computers, 1990

published by Nautical Almanac Office
United States Naval Observatory
Washington, DC 20392
day, month, year:
date of sunrise/sunset
latitude, longitude:
location for sunrise/sunset
zenith:
Sun's zenith for sunrise/sunset
offical
= 90 degrees 50'
civil
= 96 degrees
nautical
= 102 degrees
astronomical = 108 degrees
NOTE: longitude is positive for East and negative for West

Worked example (from book):

June 25, 1990: 25, 6, 1990
Wayne, NJ:
40.9, -74.3
Office zenith: 90 50' cos(zenith) = -0.01454
1. first calculate the day of the year
N1 = floor(275 * month / 9)
N2 = floor((month + 9) / 12)
N3 = (1 + floor((year - 4 * floor(year / 4) + 2) / 3))
N = N1 - (N2 * N3) + day - 30
Example:
N1 = 183
N2 = 1
N3 = 1 + floor((1990 - 4 * 497 + 2) / 3)
= 1 + floor((1990 - 1988 + 2) / 3)
= 1 + floor((1990 - 1988 + 2) / 3)

= 1 + floor(4 / 3)
= 2
N = 183 - 2 + 25 - 30 = 176
2. convert the longitude to hour value and calculate an approximate time
lngHour = longitude / 15
if rising time is desired:
t = N + ((6 - lngHour) / 24)
if setting time is desired:
t = N + ((18 - lngHour) / 24)
Example:
lngHour = -74.3 / 15 = -4.953
t = 176 + ((6 - -4.953) / 24)
= 176.456
3. calculate the Sun's mean anomaly
M = (0.9856 * t) - 3.289
Example:
M = (0.9856 * 176.456) - 3.289
= 170.626
4. calculate the Sun's true longitude
[Note throughout the arguments of the trig functions
(sin, tan) are in degrees. It will likely be necessary to
convert to radians. eg sin(170.626 deg) =sin(170.626*pi/180
radians)=0.16287]
L = M + (1.916 * sin(M)) + (0.020 * sin(2 * M)) + 282.634
NOTE: L potentially needs to be adjusted into the range [0,360)
by adding/subtracting 360
Example:
L = 170.626
170.626)) + 282.634
= 170.626
= 170.626
= 453.566
= 93.566

+ (1.916 * sin(170.626)) + (0.020 * sin(2 *

+ (1.916 * 0.16287) + (0.020 * -0.32141) + 282.634
+ 0.31206 + -0.0064282 + 282.634
- 360

5a. calculate the Sun's right ascension

RA = atan(0.91764 * tan(L))
NOTE: RA potentially needs to be adjusted into the range [0,360)
by adding/subtracting 360
Example:
RA = atan(0.91764 * -16.046)
= atan(0.91764 * -16.046)
= atan(-14.722)
= -86.11412
5b. right ascension value needs to be in the same quadrant as L

Lquadrant = (floor( L/90)) * 90

RAquadrant = (floor(RA/90)) * 90
RA = RA + (Lquadrant - RAquadrant)
Example:
Lquadrant

= (floor(93.566/90)) * 90
= 90
RAquadrant = (floor(-86.11412/90)) * 90
= -90
RA = -86.11412 + (90 - -90)
= -86.11412 + 180
= 93.886
5c. right ascension value needs to be converted into hours
RA = RA / 15
Example:
RA = 93.886 / 15
= 6.259
6. calculate the Sun's declination
sinDec = 0.39782 * sin(L)
cosDec = cos(asin(sinDec))
Example:
sinDec =
=
=
cosDec =
=
=
=

0.39782 * sin(93.566)
0.39782 * 0.99806
0.39705
cos(asin(0.39705))
cos(asin(0.39705))
cos(23.394)
0.91780

7a. calculate the Sun's local hour angle

cosH = (cos(zenith) - (sinDec * sin(latitude))) / (cosDec *
cos(latitude))
if (cosH > 1)
the sun never rises on this location (on the specified date)
if (cosH < -1)
the sun never sets on this location (on the specified date)
Example:
cosH = (-0.01454
cos(40.9))
= (-0.01454
= (-0.01454
= -0.2745 /
= -0.39570

- (0.39705 * sin(40.9))) / (0.91780 *

- (0.39705 * 0.65474)) / (0.91780 * 0.75585)
- 0.25996) / 0.69372
0.69372

7b. finish calculating H and convert into hours

if if rising time is desired:

H = 360 - acos(cosH)
if setting time is desired:
H = acos(cosH)
H = H / 15
Example:
H = 360 - acos(-0.39570)
= 360 - 113.310
[ note result of acos converted to degrees]
= 246.690
H = 246.690 / 15
= 16.446
8. calculate local mean time of rising/setting
T = H + RA - (0.06571 * t) - 6.622
Example:
T = 16.446 + 6.259 - (0.06571 * 176.456) - 6.622
= 16.446 + 6.259 - 11.595 - 6.622
= 4.488
9. adjust back to UTC
UT = T - lngHour
NOTE: UT potentially needs to be adjusted into the range [0,24)
by adding/subtracting 24
Example:
UT = 4.488 - -4.953
= 9.441
= 9h 26m
10. convert UT value to local time zone of latitude/longitude
localT = UT + localOffset
Example:
localT = 9h 26m + -4
= 5h 26m
= 5:26 am EDT

Sunrise/Sunset Algorithm
Source:

Inputs:

Almanac for Computers, 1990

published by Nautical Almanac Office
United States Naval Observatory
Washington, DC 20392
day, month, year:
date of sunrise/sunset
latitude, longitude:
location for sunrise/sunset
zenith:
Sun's zenith for sunrise/sunset
offical
= 90 degrees 50'
civil
= 96 degrees
nautical
= 102 degrees
astronomical = 108 degrees
NOTE: longitude is positive for East and negative for West
NOTE: the algorithm assumes the use of a calculator with the
trig functions in "degree" (rather than "radian") mode. Most
programming languages assume radian arguments, requiring back
and forth convertions. The factor is 180/pi. So, for instance,
the equation RA = atan(0.91764 * tan(L)) would be coded as RA
= (180/pi)*atan(0.91764 * tan((pi/180)*L)) to give a degree
answer with a degree input for L.

1. first calculate the day of the year

N1 = floor(275 * month / 9)
N2 = floor((month + 9) / 12)
N3 = (1 + floor((year - 4 * floor(year / 4) + 2) / 3))
N = N1 - (N2 * N3) + day - 30
2. convert the longitude to hour value and calculate an approximate time
lngHour = longitude / 15
if rising time is desired:
t = N + ((6 - lngHour) / 24)
if setting time is desired:
t = N + ((18 - lngHour) / 24)
3. calculate the Sun's mean anomaly
M = (0.9856 * t) - 3.289
4. calculate the Sun's true longitude
L = M + (1.916 * sin(M)) + (0.020 * sin(2 * M)) + 282.634
NOTE: L potentially needs to be adjusted into the range [0,360)
by adding/subtracting 360
5a. calculate the Sun's right ascension

RA = atan(0.91764 * tan(L))
NOTE: RA potentially needs to be adjusted into the range [0,360)
by adding/subtracting 360
5b. right ascension value needs to be in the same quadrant as L
Lquadrant = (floor( L/90)) * 90
RAquadrant = (floor(RA/90)) * 90
RA = RA + (Lquadrant - RAquadrant)
5c. right ascension value needs to be converted into hours
RA = RA / 15
6. calculate the Sun's declination
sinDec = 0.39782 * sin(L)
cosDec = cos(asin(sinDec))
7a. calculate the Sun's local hour angle
cosH = (cos(zenith) - (sinDec * sin(latitude))) / (cosDec *
cos(latitude))
if (cosH > 1)
the sun never rises on this location (on the specified date)
if (cosH < -1)
the sun never sets on this location (on the specified date)
7b. finish calculating H and convert into hours
if if rising time is desired:
H = 360 - acos(cosH)
if setting time is desired:
H = acos(cosH)
H = H / 15
8. calculate local mean time of rising/setting
T = H + RA - (0.06571 * t) - 6.622
9. adjust back to UTC
UT = T - lngHour
NOTE: UT potentially needs to be adjusted into the range [0,24)
by adding/subtracting 24
10. convert UT value to local time zone of latitude/longitude
localT = UT + localOffset