Southern hemisphere, reversed seasons
Sydney's seasons run opposite the northern hemisphere: the longest days land in December (about 14 hours 25 minutes) and the shortest in June (about 9 hours 54 minutes). The sun tracks through the northern sky here, so south-facing balconies get the winter light and north-facing ones the summer sun.
Daylight saving on the edge
New South Wales observes DST from October to April, shifting summer sunsets past 20:00 on the clock. The calculator uses standard time (UTC+10); add an hour across the DST months. Waterfront light around the harbour is best in the morning golden hour, when the eastern sun lights the bridge and opera house sails.
Sources and standards
Where these figures come from
Every formula on this page is implemented from the published reference material below. Where a value depends on a regional code, the calculator lets you override it rather than assuming one jurisdiction.
- NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory — Solar Calculator — the solar position algorithm underlying sunrise, sunset and solar noon.
- NASA Science — Sun — solar geometry and the definition of civil, nautical and astronomical twilight.
- NIST Time and Frequency Division — time standards and the definition of the day.
Figures, formulas and reference tables last verified: 24 September 2026.