Cairns
Sunrise and sunset in Cairns, Queensland
Today’s sunrise, sunset and twilight in Cairns, in local time. At 16.9° S, the day lasts from 11 h 07 min at the winter solstice to 13 h 09 min at the summer solstice.
Today · worked out at
In Cairns, Queensland on Friday, October 23, the Sun rises at 05:43 and sets at 18:18.
Day length 12 h 35 min, 54 s longer than yesterday.
Solar noon at 12:01, with the Sun 84° above the horizon.
Times are Cairns time (GMT+10).
Twilight and golden hour today
| Today | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Astronomical twilight | 04:29 | 19:33 |
| Nautical twilight | 04:55 | 19:07 |
| Civil twilight | 05:21 | 18:41 |
| Sunrise and sunset | 05:43 | 18:18 |
| Golden hour | 05:43–06:12 | 17:49–18:18 |
Each twilight begins at the morning time and ends at the evening one.
The year in Cairns
- Longest day: December 22, 13 h 09 min, from sunrise at 05:41 to sunset at 18:49.
- Shortest day: June 21, 11 h 07 min, from sunrise at 06:45 to sunset at 17:52.
Sunrise and sunset on the 21st of each month, 2026
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 21 | 05:58 | 18:57 | 12 h 58 min |
| February 21 | 06:13 | 18:47 | 12 h 33 min |
| March 21 | 06:20 | 18:27 | 12 h 06 min |
| April 21 | 06:26 | 18:04 | 11 h 38 min |
| May 21 | 06:35 | 17:51 | 11 h 16 min |
| June 21 | 06:45 | 17:52 | 11 h 07 min |
| July 21 | 06:45 | 18:01 | 11 h 15 min |
| August 21 | 06:31 | 18:08 | 11 h 37 min |
| September 21 | 06:07 | 18:12 | 12 h 05 min |
| October 21 | 05:45 | 18:18 | 12 h 33 min |
| November 21 | 05:33 | 18:31 | 12 h 58 min |
| December 21 | 05:40 | 18:49 | 13 h 09 min |
Good to know
- Sunrise and sunset are when the top of the Sun meets a level horizon, allowing for the usual bending of light by the air. Hills, buildings and height shift what you see by a few minutes.
- Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight end when the Sun is 6°, 12° and 18° below the horizon. Golden hour here is the photographers’ usual definition: the Sun less than 6° above it.
- Worked out when the page loads from NOAA’s solar equations, for 16.9° S, 145.8° E, and accurate to about a minute.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Day and night, live, The Sun, Moon and planets