Solar Noon Calculator

Solar Noon Calculator

Solar noon - when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky - rarely lines up exactly with 12:00 on your local clock. This calculator shows the actual local clock time of solar noon for your specific location and date.

Formula

Standard Meridian = Time Zone Offset x 15┬░
Longitude Correction (min) = 4 x (Standard Meridian - Longitude)
Solar Noon = 12:00 + Longitude Correction - Equation of Time

Example

Longitude -74.006┬░ (New York City area), UTC-5 time zone, equation of time -3 minutes:

Standard Meridian = -75┬░ → Solar Noon ≈ 11:59

Two Reasons Solar Noon Drifts From Clock Noon

• Your exact longitude within your time zone - each time zone spans a full 15┬░ of longitude, but you're rarely standing exactly on its central meridian, shifting solar noon by up to about 30 minutes in either direction just from your position within the zone.
• The equation of time - a correction accounting for Earth's elliptical orbit and axial tilt, which causes solar noon to drift up to roughly 16 minutes earlier or later than a perfectly uniform clock would predict, varying smoothly across the calendar year.