Calculate daylight for any date + city
What this solves
Iceland's daylight varies from 4 hours in late December to 21+ hours around the summer solstice. This affects everything: when you can drive, hike, photograph, see the aurora, watch the midnight sun.
The aurora viewing window is the dark hours — when the sun is more than ~10° below the horizon. In Reykjavík in December, this window is ~18 hours per day. In June, this window is 0 hours per day.
How to read the result
The summary shows: sunrise, sunset, total daylight, civil twilight window. The timeline visualizes the 24 hours of the day. The reco box gives you a practical plan: when to drive, when to nap, when to look up at the sky.
Limitations
Calculations use standard astronomical formulas. Actual visible daylight depends on weather, terrain, and atmospheric conditions — mountains block the sun earlier than predicted. The aurora can be technically visible during nautical twilight if it's strong enough.
FAQ
When does the sun rise in Reykjavík?
Around 11:00 in late December, 03:00 in late June. The exact time depends on year.
Is the midnight sun real?
Yes — from late May to late July, the sun dips just below the horizon but doesn't fully set, creating 24-hour twilight. Around June 21 it stays above horizon for 21+ hours.
When is "polar night"?
In Reykjavík, the sun rises ~4 hours per day in late December but stays low — it's not technically polar night (which requires 24-hour darkness, only at latitudes 66.5°+). The Westfjords and northern Iceland are closer to that threshold.
Sources
- Time and Date AS — Reykjavík sunrise/sunset data
- US Naval Observatory — astronomical formulas