Astronomy Essentials

See the year’s fastest sunsets and sunrises around equinoxes

Posted by
Bruce McClure
and
September 17, 2026
Setting sun peaking through distant high-rise buildings behind a four-lane city street with cars.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kamala Venkatesh captured this photo in San Diego, California, on March 19, 2025, and wrote: “Have you ever wondered why the direction of sunset changes throughout the year? We usually speak of the sun setting in the west, but technically it only sets due west at the spring and autumn equinoxes. For the rest of the year, the direction of sunset pivots about this westerly point, moving northerly in winter, and towards the south in summer.” Thank you, Kamala! Read about the fastest sunsets of the year below.

Science news, night sky events and beautiful photos, all in one place. Click here to subscribe to EarthSky’s free daily newsletter.

Year’s fastest sunsets and sunrises

The September equinox is coming up fast. It’ll come at 00:05 UTC on September 23, 2026. That’s 19:05 p.m. CDT on September 22. And here’s a little-known equinox phenomenon: the sun sets faster around the time of an equinox. The fastest sunrises happen at or near the equinoxes, too. On the other hand, the slowest sunsets (and sunrises) happen around the solstices. It’s true whether you live in Earth’s Northern or Southern Hemisphere.

By the way, when we say sunset here, we’re talking about the actual number of minutes it takes for the body of the sun to sink below the western horizon.

So why does it happen? Why does the body of the sun fall below the horizon so quickly at equinox time? It’s because, at every equinox, the sun rises due east and sets due west. That means – on the day of an equinox – the setting sun hits the horizon at its steepest possible angle.

Sun in center with 4 Earths around it showing a different tilt at equinoxes and solstices.
The equinox is an event that takes place in Earth’s orbit around the sun. Image via National Weather Service/ weather.gov.

Year’s slowest sunsets and sunrises

Meanwhile, at a solstice, the sun is setting farthest north or farthest south of due west. And, the farther the sun sets from due west along the horizon, the shallower the angle of the setting sun. So that means a longer duration for sunset at the solstices.

Also, the sunset duration varies by latitude. Farther north or south on the Earth’s globe, the duration of sunset lasts longer. So, closer to the equator, the duration is shorter. But let’s just consider one latitude, 40 degrees north, the latitude of Denver or Philadelphia in the United States; parts of Spain; and Beijing, China.

At that latitude, on the day of equinox, the sun sets in about 2 3/4 minutes.

On the other hand, the solstice sun sets in roughly 3 1/4 minutes at 40 degrees latitude.

Sunset and sunrise images from the EarthSky community

13 images in orange shades of sunrises and sunsets, the sun in various positions relative to the horizon.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Peter Lowenstein captured these images and wrote: “The 22nd of September 2025 equinox occurred at 18.19 UTC (8.19 pm local time in Mutare). In Mutare the equinox sun was observed setting behind the summit of Murahwa Mountain about three hours earlier as shown in the accompanying composite image.” Thank you, Peter!
Composite of 11 photos with sun just above a low mountain showing positions of the sun at dawn on 11 dates.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Sunrises between a June and December solstice. If you are standing facing east, the sun – from day to day, and week to week – moves progressively to the right (south) between these 2 solstices. Rupesh Sangoi captured separate images of the sunrise showing the sun’s movement along the horizon between a June and December solstice. Rupesh wrote: “Did this for over a year, at sunrise.” Glorious composite, Rupesh! Thank you.
Fastest sunsets: A mountainous horizon with setting suns at far left and right, and 2 in the middle.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Hamza Khan in Pakistan captured the sun’s position at sunset on 2 equinoxes and 2 solstices in this composite image. Thank you, Hamza!

Bottom line: The fastest sunsets and sunrises of the year are happening now, around the time of the September equinox.

Read more: March equinox 2027: Here’s all you need to know

Read more: Are day and night equal on the equinox?

Help support EarthSky! Visit the EarthSky store to see the great selection of educational tools and team gear we offer.

Posted 
September 17, 2026
 in 
Astronomy Essentials

Bruce McClure

View Articles
About the Author:
Bruce McClure served as lead writer for EarthSky's popular Tonight pages from 2004 to 2021, when he opted for a much-deserved retirement. You can still find many articles at EarthSky.org that were originally written by Bruce, and which the EarthSky editors still update regularly. Bruce is a sundial aficionado, whose love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and sailing in the North Atlantic, where he earned his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. He also wrote and hosted public astronomy programs and planetarium programs in and around his home in upstate New York. Bruce he loves cycles of all kinds! You can still find many articles at EarthSky with Bruce's name on them, exploring the various, intricate cycles of the sky.

Like what you read?
Subscribe and receive daily news delivered to your inbox.

Your email address will only be used for EarthSky content. Privacy Policy
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

More from 

Bruce McClure

View All
The Wild Duck cluster, M11, a lovely open cluster in Scutum
August 28, 2026
Sagittarius the Archer is home to deep-sky wonders
August 23, 2026
Teapot of Sagittarius points to the Milky Way’s center
August 21, 2026
The Great Rift is a dark swath in the Milky Way
August 19, 2026