The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Helsinki in May
On May 1 in Helsinki the sun rises at 05:19 and sets at 21:16; on day 31 it rises at 04:09 and sets at 22:26. Over the month the day grows 140 minutes longer.
In Helsinki (60.2° latitude), May 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 05:19 and sets at 21:16 on the 1st, and at 04:09 and 22:26 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 17 h 09 min and the sun reaches 49° above the horizon. Vitamin D synthesis is possible between 11:00 and 16:00, which is when the UV index reaches at least 3: at the best moment of the day about 14 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 May?
Mid-May in Helsinki: the sun rises in the northeast — a bearing of 48°, measured from true north — and sets in the northwest, at 312°. That is 42° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 42° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 18° 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 Helsinki. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 04:26 | 05:19 | 21:16 | 22:09 | 15 h 57 min |
| 2 | 04:22 | 05:16 | 21:18 | 22:12 | 16 h 02 min |
| 3 | 04:19 | 05:13 | 21:21 | 22:15 | 16 h 08 min |
| 4 | 04:15 | 05:11 | 21:23 | 22:19 | 16 h 13 min |
| 5 | 04:12 | 05:08 | 21:26 | 22:22 | 16 h 18 min |
| 6 | 04:09 | 05:05 | 21:29 | 22:25 | 16 h 23 min |
| 7 | 04:05 | 05:02 | 21:31 | 22:28 | 16 h 29 min |
| 8 | 04:02 | 05:00 | 21:34 | 22:32 | 16 h 34 min |
| 9 | 03:58 | 04:57 | 21:36 | 22:35 | 16 h 39 min |
| 10 | 03:55 | 04:55 | 21:39 | 22:38 | 16 h 44 min |
| 11 | 03:52 | 04:52 | 21:41 | 22:41 | 16 h 49 min |
| 12 | 03:48 | 04:49 | 21:44 | 22:45 | 16 h 54 min |
| 13 | 03:45 | 04:47 | 21:46 | 22:48 | 16 h 59 min |
| 14 | 03:41 | 04:44 | 21:48 | 22:52 | 17 h 04 min |
| 15 | 03:38 | 04:42 | 21:51 | 22:55 | 17 h 09 min |
| 16 | 03:35 | 04:40 | 21:53 | 22:58 | 17 h 14 min |
| 17 | 03:31 | 04:37 | 21:56 | 23:02 | 17 h 18 min |
| 18 | 03:28 | 04:35 | 21:58 | 23:05 | 17 h 23 min |
| 19 | 03:25 | 04:33 | 22:00 | 23:08 | 17 h 28 min |
| 20 | 03:21 | 04:31 | 22:03 | 23:12 | 17 h 32 min |
| 21 | 03:18 | 04:28 | 22:05 | 23:15 | 17 h 37 min |
| 22 | 03:15 | 04:26 | 22:07 | 23:19 | 17 h 41 min |
| 23 | 03:11 | 04:24 | 22:10 | 23:22 | 17 h 45 min |
| 24 | 03:08 | 04:22 | 22:12 | 23:26 | 17 h 50 min |
| 25 | 03:05 | 04:20 | 22:14 | 23:29 | 17 h 54 min |
| 26 | 03:02 | 04:18 | 22:16 | 23:33 | 17 h 58 min |
| 27 | 02:58 | 04:16 | 22:18 | 23:36 | 18 h 02 min |
| 28 | 02:55 | 04:15 | 22:20 | 23:39 | 18 h 06 min |
| 29 | 02:52 | 04:13 | 22:22 | 23:43 | 18 h 09 min |
| 30 | 02:49 | 04:11 | 22:24 | 23:46 | 18 h 13 min |
| 31 | 02:46 | 04:09 | 22:26 | 23:50 | 18 h 17 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 Helsinki runs from 11:00 to 16:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~14 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Helsinki vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Helsinki in May
- Where does the sun set in Helsinki in May?
- Mid-May in Helsinki: the sun sets in the northwest, a bearing of 312° measured from true north, which is 42° north of due west. It rises in the northeast, at 48°. Over the month both points shift 18° north.
- How much daylight does Helsinki gain in May?
- Over May the day gets 140 minutes longer in Helsinki: on May 1 the sun rises at 05:19 and sets at 21:16, and on day 31 it rises at 04:09 and sets at 22:26.
- How many hours of daylight does Helsinki get in May?
- In mid-May the day lasts 17 h 09 min in Helsinki, from sunrise at 04:42 to sunset at 21:51. 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 May?
- In mid-May the sky starts to get light at 03:38 in Helsinki, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 04:42. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Helsinki in May?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-May in Helsinki the sun sets at 21:51, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 22:55, 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 May?
- In mid-May, between 11:00 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 14 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.