The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Brussels in May
On May 1 in Brussels the sun rises at 06:18 and sets at 21:02; on day 31 it rises at 05:35 and sets at 21:45. Over the month the day grows 86 minutes longer.
In Brussels (50.9° latitude), May 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 06:18 and sets at 21:02 on the 1st, and at 05:35 and 21:45 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 15 h 30 min and the sun reaches 58° above the horizon. Vitamin D synthesis is possible between 11:00 and 17:00, which is when the UV index reaches at least 3: at the best moment of the day about 10 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.
Where does the sun rise and set in Brussels in May?
Mid-May in Brussels: the sun rises in the northeast — a bearing of 58°, measured from true north — and sets in the northwest, at 302°. That is 32° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 32° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 12° north.
Approximate bearings: they can be a couple of degrees out. They are measured from true north, not the north a phone compass points to.
Day by day
All times are local to Brussels. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05:40 | 06:18 | 21:02 | 21:39 | 14 h 44 min |
| 2 | 05:38 | 06:16 | 21:03 | 21:41 | 14 h 48 min |
| 3 | 05:36 | 06:14 | 21:05 | 21:43 | 14 h 51 min |
| 4 | 05:34 | 06:12 | 21:07 | 21:45 | 14 h 55 min |
| 5 | 05:32 | 06:10 | 21:08 | 21:46 | 14 h 58 min |
| 6 | 05:30 | 06:08 | 21:10 | 21:48 | 15 h 01 min |
| 7 | 05:28 | 06:07 | 21:11 | 21:50 | 15 h 05 min |
| 8 | 05:26 | 06:05 | 21:13 | 21:52 | 15 h 08 min |
| 9 | 05:24 | 06:03 | 21:15 | 21:54 | 15 h 11 min |
| 10 | 05:22 | 06:02 | 21:16 | 21:55 | 15 h 14 min |
| 11 | 05:21 | 06:00 | 21:18 | 21:57 | 15 h 18 min |
| 12 | 05:19 | 05:58 | 21:19 | 21:59 | 15 h 21 min |
| 13 | 05:17 | 05:57 | 21:21 | 22:01 | 15 h 24 min |
| 14 | 05:15 | 05:55 | 21:22 | 22:02 | 15 h 27 min |
| 15 | 05:13 | 05:54 | 21:24 | 22:04 | 15 h 30 min |
| 16 | 05:12 | 05:52 | 21:25 | 22:06 | 15 h 33 min |
| 17 | 05:10 | 05:51 | 21:27 | 22:08 | 15 h 36 min |
| 18 | 05:09 | 05:50 | 21:28 | 22:09 | 15 h 39 min |
| 19 | 05:07 | 05:48 | 21:30 | 22:11 | 15 h 41 min |
| 20 | 05:05 | 05:47 | 21:31 | 22:13 | 15 h 44 min |
| 21 | 05:04 | 05:46 | 21:32 | 22:14 | 15 h 47 min |
| 22 | 05:02 | 05:44 | 21:34 | 22:16 | 15 h 49 min |
| 23 | 05:01 | 05:43 | 21:35 | 22:17 | 15 h 52 min |
| 24 | 05:00 | 05:42 | 21:36 | 22:19 | 15 h 54 min |
| 25 | 04:58 | 05:41 | 21:38 | 22:20 | 15 h 57 min |
| 26 | 04:57 | 05:40 | 21:39 | 22:22 | 15 h 59 min |
| 27 | 04:56 | 05:39 | 21:40 | 22:23 | 16 h 01 min |
| 28 | 04:55 | 05:38 | 21:42 | 22:25 | 16 h 04 min |
| 29 | 04:53 | 05:37 | 21:43 | 22:26 | 16 h 06 min |
| 30 | 04:52 | 05:36 | 21:44 | 22:28 | 16 h 08 min |
| 31 | 04:51 | 05:35 | 21:45 | 22:29 | 16 h 10 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in May?
In May, the typical synthesis window in Brussels runs from 11:00 to 17:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~10 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Brussels vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Brussels in May
- Where does the sun set in Brussels in May?
- Mid-May in Brussels: the sun sets in the northwest, a bearing of 302° measured from true north, which is 32° north of due west. It rises in the northeast, at 58°. Over the month both points shift 12° north.
- How much daylight does Brussels gain in May?
- Over May the day gets 86 minutes longer in Brussels: on May 1 the sun rises at 06:18 and sets at 21:02, and on day 31 it rises at 05:35 and sets at 21:45.
- How many hours of daylight does Brussels get in May?
- In mid-May the day lasts 15 h 30 min in Brussels, from sunrise at 05:54 to sunset at 21:24. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Brussels in May?
- In mid-May the sky starts to get light at 05:13 in Brussels, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 05:54. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Brussels in May?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-May in Brussels the sun sets at 21:24, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 22:04, when the sun reaches 6° below the horizon and usable outdoor light runs out. The “Dusk” column of the table gives that time day by day.
- What time of day can you make vitamin D in Brussels in May?
- In mid-May, between 11:00 and 17:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in Brussels, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 10 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.