Wellington, New Zealand • -41.29° N, 174.78° E

Sunrise & Sunset in Wellington Today

Q: What is the exact solar noon in Wellington?

Solar noon in Wellington occurs when the sun crosses the local celestial meridian (174.78° E) and reaches its maximum angular elevation above the horizon. Because Wellington operates on Pacific/Auckland, solar noon typically occurs around mid-day, adjusted for the seasonal Equation of Time.

Q: How does atmospheric refraction affect sunrise and sunset in Wellington?

At latitude -41.29°, standard atmospheric refraction lifts the apparent image of the solar disc by approximately 34 arcminutes (0.566°). Combined with the sun’s 16 arcminute semidiameter, official sunrise and sunset are calculated when the center of the true solar disc is 90°50′ from the zenith.

Q: When are the golden hour shooting windows in Wellington?

The morning golden hour spans the Sun’s climb from 0° to 6° elevation, with the evening window covering the reverse crossing. Its duration varies with latitude and season rather than lasting a fixed 60 minutes.

Welcome to the definitive solar ephemeris for Wellington (New Zealand), situated at geographic coordinates -41.2924° N latitude and 174.7787° E longitude within the Pacific/Auckland timezone. Because Wellington is positioned at mid-latitude coordinates, daylight duration fluctuates predictably throughout the solar year—reaching its maximum duration during the June solstice and its annual minimum near the December solstice.

All timestamps displayed below are computed using client-side spherical astronomy algorithms derived from the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Almanac 2024 and the NOAA Solar Calculator, accounting for standard 34-arcminute atmospheric refraction and 16-arcminute solar semidiameter at sea level.

Sunrise & Sunset in Wellington, New Zealand

US Naval Observatory (USNO) Astronomical Almanac 2024 p.C24 & NOAA Solar Model

Formulacos(H) = (cos(90.833°) - sin(δ)·sin(φ)) / (cos(δ)·cos(φ))

Select City

Date

Sunrise

06:30

Official Horizon (90°50′)

Sunset

18:05

Official Horizon (90°50′)

Solar Noon

12:18

Highest solar culmination

Day Length

11h 35m

Golden Hour Photographic Windows (Sun < 6° Elevation)

Morning Golden Hour

06:34 – 07:07

Warm dawn sidelight for landscapes

Evening Golden Hour

17:28 – 18:01

Soft sunset illumination for portraits

7-Day Solar Forecast for Wellington

Updated daily

Seven-day sunrise and sunset forecast for Wellington
Date	Sunrise	Solar Noon	Sunset	Daylight	Golden Hr (Eve)
Fri, Sep 11Today	06:30 AM GMT+12	12:18 PM GMT+12	06:05 PM GMT+12	11h 35m	05:28 PM GMT+12 – 06:01 PM GMT+12
Sat, Sep 12	06:28 AM GMT+12	12:17 PM GMT+12	06:06 PM GMT+12	11h 38m	05:29 PM GMT+12 – 06:02 PM GMT+12
Sun, Sep 13	06:27 AM GMT+12	12:17 PM GMT+12	06:07 PM GMT+12	11h 41m	05:30 PM GMT+12 – 06:03 PM GMT+12
Mon, Sep 14	06:25 AM GMT+12	12:17 PM GMT+12	06:08 PM GMT+12	11h 43m	05:31 PM GMT+12 – 06:04 PM GMT+12
Tue, Sep 15	06:23 AM GMT+12	12:16 PM GMT+12	06:09 PM GMT+12	11h 46m	05:33 PM GMT+12 – 06:05 PM GMT+12
Wed, Sep 16	06:22 AM GMT+12	12:16 PM GMT+12	06:10 PM GMT+12	11h 49m	05:34 PM GMT+12 – 06:06 PM GMT+12
Thu, Sep 17	06:20 AM GMT+12	12:15 PM GMT+12	06:11 PM GMT+12	11h 51m	05:35 PM GMT+12 – 06:07 PM GMT+12

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1.What is the exact solar noon in Wellington?

Solar noon in Wellington occurs when the sun crosses the local celestial meridian (174.78° E) and reaches its maximum angular elevation above the horizon. Because Wellington operates on Pacific/Auckland, solar noon typically occurs around mid-day, adjusted for the seasonal Equation of Time.

Q2.How does atmospheric refraction affect sunrise and sunset in Wellington?

At latitude -41.29°, standard atmospheric refraction lifts the apparent image of the solar disc by approximately 34 arcminutes (0.566°). Combined with the sun’s 16 arcminute semidiameter, official sunrise and sunset are calculated when the center of the true solar disc is 90°50′ from the zenith.

Q3.When are the golden hour shooting windows in Wellington?

The morning golden hour spans the Sun’s climb from 0° to 6° elevation, with the evening window covering the reverse crossing. Its duration varies with latitude and season rather than lasting a fixed 60 minutes.

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