The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Amsterdam in December
On December 1 in Amsterdam the sun rises at 08:31 and sets at 16:30; on day 31 it rises at 08:51 and sets at 16:37. Over the month the day gets 14 minutes shorter.
In Amsterdam (52.4° latitude), December 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 08:31 and sets at 16:30 on the 1st, and at 08:51 and 16:37 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 7 h 42 min and the sun reaches 14° above the horizon. Even so, the UV index never reaches 3 at any point in the month: at this latitude and time of year, the ozone layer absorbs UVB before enough of it reaches the ground. So in December there is no vitamin D synthesis in Amsterdam at any hour of the day, however long you stay out.
Where does the sun rise and set in Amsterdam in December?
Mid-December in Amsterdam: the sun rises in the southeast — a bearing of 129°, measured from true north — and sets in the southwest, at 231°. That is 39° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 39° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 2° 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 Amsterdam. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 07:50 | 08:31 | 16:30 | 17:10 | 7 h 59 min |
| 2 | 07:51 | 08:32 | 16:29 | 17:10 | 7 h 58 min |
| 3 | 07:53 | 08:33 | 16:29 | 17:10 | 7 h 56 min |
| 4 | 07:54 | 08:34 | 16:29 | 17:09 | 7 h 54 min |
| 5 | 07:55 | 08:35 | 16:28 | 17:09 | 7 h 53 min |
| 6 | 07:56 | 08:37 | 16:28 | 17:09 | 7 h 51 min |
| 7 | 07:57 | 08:38 | 16:28 | 17:08 | 7 h 50 min |
| 8 | 07:58 | 08:39 | 16:27 | 17:08 | 7 h 49 min |
| 9 | 07:59 | 08:40 | 16:27 | 17:08 | 7 h 47 min |
| 10 | 08:00 | 08:41 | 16:27 | 17:08 | 7 h 46 min |
| 11 | 08:01 | 08:42 | 16:27 | 17:08 | 7 h 45 min |
| 12 | 08:01 | 08:43 | 16:27 | 17:08 | 7 h 44 min |
| 13 | 08:02 | 08:44 | 16:27 | 17:08 | 7 h 43 min |
| 14 | 08:03 | 08:44 | 16:27 | 17:08 | 7 h 43 min |
| 15 | 08:04 | 08:45 | 16:27 | 17:09 | 7 h 42 min |
| 16 | 08:04 | 08:46 | 16:27 | 17:09 | 7 h 42 min |
| 17 | 08:05 | 08:47 | 16:28 | 17:09 | 7 h 41 min |
| 18 | 08:06 | 08:47 | 16:28 | 17:09 | 7 h 41 min |
| 19 | 08:06 | 08:48 | 16:28 | 17:10 | 7 h 41 min |
| 20 | 08:07 | 08:48 | 16:29 | 17:10 | 7 h 40 min |
| 21 | 08:07 | 08:49 | 16:29 | 17:11 | 7 h 40 min |
| 22 | 08:08 | 08:49 | 16:30 | 17:11 | 7 h 41 min |
| 23 | 08:08 | 08:50 | 16:30 | 17:12 | 7 h 41 min |
| 24 | 08:08 | 08:50 | 16:31 | 17:12 | 7 h 41 min |
| 25 | 08:09 | 08:50 | 16:32 | 17:13 | 7 h 41 min |
| 26 | 08:09 | 08:50 | 16:32 | 17:14 | 7 h 42 min |
| 27 | 08:09 | 08:51 | 16:33 | 17:14 | 7 h 42 min |
| 28 | 08:09 | 08:51 | 16:34 | 17:15 | 7 h 43 min |
| 29 | 08:10 | 08:51 | 16:35 | 17:16 | 7 h 44 min |
| 30 | 08:10 | 08:51 | 16:36 | 17:17 | 7 h 45 min |
| 31 | 08:10 | 08:51 | 16:37 | 17:18 | 7 h 46 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in December?
In December the sun doesn't climb high enough in Amsterdam for vitamin D synthesis: the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.
See the Amsterdam vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Amsterdam in December
- Where does the sun set in Amsterdam in December?
- Mid-December in Amsterdam: the sun sets in the southwest, a bearing of 231° measured from true north, which is 39° south of due west. It rises in the southeast, at 129°. Over the month both points shift 2° south.
- How much daylight does Amsterdam lose in December?
- Over December the day gets 14 minutes shorter in Amsterdam: on December 1 the sun rises at 08:31 and sets at 16:30, and on day 31 it rises at 08:51 and sets at 16:37.
- How many hours of daylight does Amsterdam get in December?
- In mid-December the day lasts 7 h 42 min in Amsterdam, from sunrise at 08:45 to sunset at 16:27. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Amsterdam in December?
- In mid-December the sky starts to get light at 08:04 in Amsterdam, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 08:45. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Amsterdam in December?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-December in Amsterdam the sun sets at 16:27, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 17:09, 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 Amsterdam in December?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on December 15 does the UV index reach 3 in Amsterdam, and below that minimum the skin makes no vitamin D, however long you stay out. In December it is the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.