The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Amsterdam in May
On May 1 in Amsterdam the sun rises at 06:11 and sets at 21:04; on day 31 it rises at 05:25 and sets at 21:50. Over the month the day grows 92 minutes longer.
In Amsterdam (52.4° latitude), May 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 06:11 and sets at 21:04 on the 1st, and at 05:25 and 21:50 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 15 h 42 min and the sun reaches 56° 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 Amsterdam in May?
Mid-May in Amsterdam: the sun rises in the northeast — a bearing of 57°, measured from true north — and sets in the northwest, at 303°. That is 33° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 33° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 13° 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 Amsterdam. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05:32 | 06:11 | 21:04 | 21:43 | 14 h 54 min |
| 2 | 05:29 | 06:09 | 21:06 | 21:45 | 14 h 57 min |
| 3 | 05:27 | 06:07 | 21:08 | 21:47 | 15 h 01 min |
| 4 | 05:25 | 06:05 | 21:09 | 21:49 | 15 h 05 min |
| 5 | 05:23 | 06:03 | 21:11 | 21:51 | 15 h 08 min |
| 6 | 05:21 | 06:01 | 21:13 | 21:53 | 15 h 12 min |
| 7 | 05:19 | 05:59 | 21:15 | 21:55 | 15 h 15 min |
| 8 | 05:17 | 05:57 | 21:16 | 21:57 | 15 h 19 min |
| 9 | 05:14 | 05:56 | 21:18 | 21:59 | 15 h 22 min |
| 10 | 05:12 | 05:54 | 21:20 | 22:01 | 15 h 26 min |
| 11 | 05:10 | 05:52 | 21:21 | 22:03 | 15 h 29 min |
| 12 | 05:08 | 05:50 | 21:23 | 22:05 | 15 h 33 min |
| 13 | 05:07 | 05:49 | 21:25 | 22:07 | 15 h 36 min |
| 14 | 05:05 | 05:47 | 21:26 | 22:09 | 15 h 39 min |
| 15 | 05:03 | 05:45 | 21:28 | 22:10 | 15 h 42 min |
| 16 | 05:01 | 05:44 | 21:29 | 22:12 | 15 h 46 min |
| 17 | 04:59 | 05:42 | 21:31 | 22:14 | 15 h 49 min |
| 18 | 04:57 | 05:41 | 21:33 | 22:16 | 15 h 52 min |
| 19 | 04:56 | 05:39 | 21:34 | 22:18 | 15 h 55 min |
| 20 | 04:54 | 05:38 | 21:36 | 22:20 | 15 h 58 min |
| 21 | 04:52 | 05:37 | 21:37 | 22:21 | 16 h 00 min |
| 22 | 04:51 | 05:35 | 21:39 | 22:23 | 16 h 03 min |
| 23 | 04:49 | 05:34 | 21:40 | 22:25 | 16 h 06 min |
| 24 | 04:48 | 05:33 | 21:41 | 22:27 | 16 h 09 min |
| 25 | 04:46 | 05:32 | 21:43 | 22:28 | 16 h 11 min |
| 26 | 04:45 | 05:30 | 21:44 | 22:30 | 16 h 14 min |
| 27 | 04:43 | 05:29 | 21:45 | 22:31 | 16 h 16 min |
| 28 | 04:42 | 05:28 | 21:47 | 22:33 | 16 h 19 min |
| 29 | 04:41 | 05:27 | 21:48 | 22:34 | 16 h 21 min |
| 30 | 04:40 | 05:26 | 21:49 | 22:36 | 16 h 23 min |
| 31 | 04:38 | 05:25 | 21:50 | 22:37 | 16 h 25 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 Amsterdam runs from 11:00 to 17:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~10 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Amsterdam vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Amsterdam in May
- Where does the sun set in Amsterdam in May?
- Mid-May in Amsterdam: the sun sets in the northwest, a bearing of 303° measured from true north, which is 33° north of due west. It rises in the northeast, at 57°. Over the month both points shift 13° north.
- How much daylight does Amsterdam gain in May?
- Over May the day gets 92 minutes longer in Amsterdam: on May 1 the sun rises at 06:11 and sets at 21:04, and on day 31 it rises at 05:25 and sets at 21:50.
- How many hours of daylight does Amsterdam get in May?
- In mid-May the day lasts 15 h 42 min in Amsterdam, from sunrise at 05:45 to sunset at 21:28. 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 May?
- In mid-May the sky starts to get light at 05:03 in Amsterdam, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 05:45. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Amsterdam in May?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-May in Amsterdam the sun sets at 21:28, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 22:10, 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 May?
- In mid-May, between 11:00 and 17:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in Amsterdam, 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.