The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Sydney in December
On December 1 in Sydney the sun rises at 05:37 and sets at 19:53; on day 31 it rises at 05:47 and sets at 20:09. Over the month the day grows 7 minutes longer.
In Sydney (-33.9° latitude), December 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 05:37 and sets at 19:53 on the 1st, and at 05:47 and 20:09 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 14 h 24 min and the sun reaches 79° above the horizon. Vitamin D synthesis is possible between 09:00 and 18:00, which is when the UV index reaches at least 3: at the best moment of the day about 5 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 Sydney in December?
Mid-December in Sydney: the sun rises in the southeast — a bearing of 119°, measured from true north — and sets in the southwest, at 241°. That is 29° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 29° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points barely move.
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 Sydney. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05:09 | 05:37 | 19:53 | 20:21 | 14 h 16 min |
| 2 | 05:09 | 05:37 | 19:54 | 20:22 | 14 h 16 min |
| 3 | 05:08 | 05:37 | 19:54 | 20:23 | 14 h 17 min |
| 4 | 05:08 | 05:37 | 19:55 | 20:24 | 14 h 18 min |
| 5 | 05:08 | 05:37 | 19:56 | 20:25 | 14 h 19 min |
| 6 | 05:08 | 05:37 | 19:57 | 20:26 | 14 h 19 min |
| 7 | 05:08 | 05:37 | 19:57 | 20:26 | 14 h 20 min |
| 8 | 05:09 | 05:37 | 19:58 | 20:27 | 14 h 21 min |
| 9 | 05:09 | 05:38 | 19:59 | 20:28 | 14 h 21 min |
| 10 | 05:09 | 05:38 | 20:00 | 20:29 | 14 h 22 min |
| 11 | 05:09 | 05:38 | 20:00 | 20:29 | 14 h 22 min |
| 12 | 05:09 | 05:38 | 20:01 | 20:30 | 14 h 23 min |
| 13 | 05:09 | 05:39 | 20:02 | 20:31 | 14 h 23 min |
| 14 | 05:10 | 05:39 | 20:02 | 20:31 | 14 h 23 min |
| 15 | 05:10 | 05:39 | 20:03 | 20:32 | 14 h 24 min |
| 16 | 05:10 | 05:39 | 20:03 | 20:33 | 14 h 24 min |
| 17 | 05:11 | 05:40 | 20:04 | 20:33 | 14 h 24 min |
| 18 | 05:11 | 05:40 | 20:05 | 20:34 | 14 h 24 min |
| 19 | 05:11 | 05:41 | 20:05 | 20:34 | 14 h 24 min |
| 20 | 05:12 | 05:41 | 20:06 | 20:35 | 14 h 25 min |
| 21 | 05:12 | 05:42 | 20:06 | 20:35 | 14 h 25 min |
| 22 | 05:13 | 05:42 | 20:06 | 20:36 | 14 h 24 min |
| 23 | 05:13 | 05:43 | 20:07 | 20:36 | 14 h 24 min |
| 24 | 05:14 | 05:43 | 20:07 | 20:36 | 14 h 24 min |
| 25 | 05:14 | 05:44 | 20:08 | 20:37 | 14 h 24 min |
| 26 | 05:15 | 05:44 | 20:08 | 20:37 | 14 h 24 min |
| 27 | 05:16 | 05:45 | 20:08 | 20:37 | 14 h 24 min |
| 28 | 05:16 | 05:45 | 20:09 | 20:38 | 14 h 23 min |
| 29 | 05:17 | 05:46 | 20:09 | 20:38 | 14 h 23 min |
| 30 | 05:18 | 05:47 | 20:09 | 20:38 | 14 h 23 min |
| 31 | 05:18 | 05:47 | 20:09 | 20:38 | 14 h 22 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in December?
In December, the typical synthesis window in Sydney runs from 09:00 to 18:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~5 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Sydney vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Sydney in December
- Where does the sun set in Sydney in December?
- Mid-December in Sydney: the sun sets in the southwest, a bearing of 241° measured from true north, which is 29° south of due west. It rises in the southeast, at 119°. Over the month both points barely move.
- How much daylight does Sydney gain in December?
- Over December the day gets 7 minutes longer in Sydney: on December 1 the sun rises at 05:37 and sets at 19:53, and on day 31 it rises at 05:47 and sets at 20:09.
- How many hours of daylight does Sydney get in December?
- In mid-December the day lasts 14 h 24 min in Sydney, from sunrise at 05:39 to sunset at 20:03. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Sydney in December?
- In mid-December the sky starts to get light at 05:10 in Sydney, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 05:39. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Sydney in December?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-December in Sydney the sun sets at 20:03, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 20:32, 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 Sydney in December?
- In mid-December, between 09:00 and 18:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in Sydney, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 5 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.