The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Helsinki in August
On August 1 in Helsinki the sun rises at 05:00 and sets at 21:52; on day 31 it rises at 06:16 and sets at 20:25. Over the month the day gets 163 minutes shorter.
In Helsinki (60.2° latitude), August 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 05:00 and sets at 21:52 on the 1st, and at 06:16 and 20:25 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 15 h 38 min and the sun reaches 44° above the horizon. Vitamin D synthesis is possible between 12:00 and 16:00, which is when the UV index reaches at least 3: at the best moment of the day about 15 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 Helsinki in August?
Mid-August in Helsinki: the sun rises in the northeast — a bearing of 60°, measured from true north — and sets in the northwest, at 300°. That is 30° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 30° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 22° south.
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 Helsinki. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 04:00 | 05:00 | 21:52 | 22:53 | 16 h 52 min |
| 2 | 04:03 | 05:03 | 21:49 | 22:49 | 16 h 47 min |
| 3 | 04:06 | 05:05 | 21:47 | 22:46 | 16 h 42 min |
| 4 | 04:09 | 05:08 | 21:44 | 22:43 | 16 h 36 min |
| 5 | 04:13 | 05:10 | 21:42 | 22:39 | 16 h 31 min |
| 6 | 04:16 | 05:13 | 21:39 | 22:36 | 16 h 26 min |
| 7 | 04:19 | 05:15 | 21:36 | 22:32 | 16 h 21 min |
| 8 | 04:22 | 05:18 | 21:33 | 22:29 | 16 h 16 min |
| 9 | 04:25 | 05:20 | 21:31 | 22:25 | 16 h 10 min |
| 10 | 04:29 | 05:23 | 21:28 | 22:22 | 16 h 05 min |
| 11 | 04:32 | 05:25 | 21:25 | 22:19 | 16 h 00 min |
| 12 | 04:35 | 05:28 | 21:22 | 22:15 | 15 h 54 min |
| 13 | 04:38 | 05:30 | 21:19 | 22:12 | 15 h 49 min |
| 14 | 04:41 | 05:33 | 21:16 | 22:08 | 15 h 43 min |
| 15 | 04:44 | 05:35 | 21:13 | 22:05 | 15 h 38 min |
| 16 | 04:47 | 05:38 | 21:10 | 22:01 | 15 h 32 min |
| 17 | 04:50 | 05:40 | 21:07 | 21:58 | 15 h 27 min |
| 18 | 04:53 | 05:43 | 21:05 | 21:54 | 15 h 21 min |
| 19 | 04:56 | 05:46 | 21:02 | 21:51 | 15 h 16 min |
| 20 | 04:59 | 05:48 | 20:59 | 21:48 | 15 h 10 min |
| 21 | 05:02 | 05:51 | 20:55 | 21:44 | 15 h 05 min |
| 22 | 05:05 | 05:53 | 20:52 | 21:41 | 14 h 59 min |
| 23 | 05:08 | 05:56 | 20:49 | 21:37 | 14 h 54 min |
| 24 | 05:11 | 05:58 | 20:46 | 21:34 | 14 h 48 min |
| 25 | 05:14 | 06:01 | 20:43 | 21:30 | 14 h 43 min |
| 26 | 05:16 | 06:03 | 20:40 | 21:27 | 14 h 37 min |
| 27 | 05:19 | 06:06 | 20:37 | 21:23 | 14 h 31 min |
| 28 | 05:22 | 06:08 | 20:34 | 21:20 | 14 h 26 min |
| 29 | 05:25 | 06:11 | 20:31 | 21:17 | 14 h 20 min |
| 30 | 05:28 | 06:13 | 20:28 | 21:13 | 14 h 15 min |
| 31 | 05:30 | 06:16 | 20:25 | 21:10 | 14 h 09 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in August?
In August, the typical synthesis window in Helsinki runs from 12:00 to 16:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~15 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Helsinki vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Helsinki in August
- Where does the sun set in Helsinki in August?
- Mid-August in Helsinki: the sun sets in the northwest, a bearing of 300° measured from true north, which is 30° north of due west. It rises in the northeast, at 60°. Over the month both points shift 22° south.
- How much daylight does Helsinki lose in August?
- Over August the day gets 163 minutes shorter in Helsinki: on August 1 the sun rises at 05:00 and sets at 21:52, and on day 31 it rises at 06:16 and sets at 20:25.
- How many hours of daylight does Helsinki get in August?
- In mid-August the day lasts 15 h 38 min in Helsinki, from sunrise at 05:35 to sunset at 21:13. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Helsinki in August?
- In mid-August the sky starts to get light at 04:44 in Helsinki, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 05:35. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Helsinki in August?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-August in Helsinki the sun sets at 21:13, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 22:05, 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 Helsinki in August?
- In mid-August, between 12:00 and 16:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in Helsinki, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 15 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.