The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Brussels in January
On January 1 in Brussels the sun rises at 08:45 and sets at 16:47; on day 31 it rises at 08:23 and sets at 17:29. Over the month the day grows 65 minutes longer.
In Brussels (50.9° latitude), January 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 08:45 and sets at 16:47 on the 1st, and at 08:23 and 17:29 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 8 h 24 min and the sun reaches 18° 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 January there is no vitamin D synthesis in Brussels at any hour of the day, however long you stay out.
Where does the sun rise and set in Brussels in January?
Mid-January in Brussels: the sun rises in the southeast — a bearing of 124°, measured from true north — and sets in the southwest, at 236°. That is 34° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 34° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 9° 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 Brussels. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 08:06 | 08:45 | 16:47 | 17:26 | 8 h 02 min |
| 2 | 08:06 | 08:45 | 16:48 | 17:27 | 8 h 03 min |
| 3 | 08:06 | 08:45 | 16:49 | 17:28 | 8 h 04 min |
| 4 | 08:06 | 08:45 | 16:50 | 17:29 | 8 h 05 min |
| 5 | 08:06 | 08:45 | 16:51 | 17:30 | 8 h 07 min |
| 6 | 08:06 | 08:44 | 16:53 | 17:31 | 8 h 08 min |
| 7 | 08:05 | 08:44 | 16:54 | 17:32 | 8 h 10 min |
| 8 | 08:05 | 08:44 | 16:55 | 17:34 | 8 h 11 min |
| 9 | 08:05 | 08:43 | 16:56 | 17:35 | 8 h 13 min |
| 10 | 08:04 | 08:43 | 16:57 | 17:36 | 8 h 15 min |
| 11 | 08:04 | 08:42 | 16:59 | 17:37 | 8 h 16 min |
| 12 | 08:03 | 08:42 | 17:00 | 17:38 | 8 h 18 min |
| 13 | 08:03 | 08:41 | 17:01 | 17:39 | 8 h 20 min |
| 14 | 08:02 | 08:40 | 17:03 | 17:41 | 8 h 22 min |
| 15 | 08:02 | 08:40 | 17:04 | 17:42 | 8 h 24 min |
| 16 | 08:01 | 08:39 | 17:06 | 17:43 | 8 h 27 min |
| 17 | 08:01 | 08:38 | 17:07 | 17:45 | 8 h 29 min |
| 18 | 08:00 | 08:37 | 17:09 | 17:46 | 8 h 31 min |
| 19 | 07:59 | 08:37 | 17:10 | 17:47 | 8 h 34 min |
| 20 | 07:58 | 08:36 | 17:12 | 17:49 | 8 h 36 min |
| 21 | 07:57 | 08:35 | 17:13 | 17:50 | 8 h 38 min |
| 22 | 07:57 | 08:34 | 17:15 | 17:52 | 8 h 41 min |
| 23 | 07:56 | 08:33 | 17:16 | 17:53 | 8 h 44 min |
| 24 | 07:55 | 08:32 | 17:18 | 17:55 | 8 h 46 min |
| 25 | 07:54 | 08:30 | 17:19 | 17:56 | 8 h 49 min |
| 26 | 07:53 | 08:29 | 17:21 | 17:58 | 8 h 52 min |
| 27 | 07:52 | 08:28 | 17:23 | 17:59 | 8 h 55 min |
| 28 | 07:50 | 08:27 | 17:24 | 18:01 | 8 h 58 min |
| 29 | 07:49 | 08:26 | 17:26 | 18:02 | 9 h 00 min |
| 30 | 07:48 | 08:24 | 17:28 | 18:04 | 9 h 03 min |
| 31 | 07:47 | 08:23 | 17:29 | 18:05 | 9 h 06 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in January?
In January the sun doesn't climb high enough in Brussels for vitamin D synthesis: the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.
See the Brussels vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Brussels in January
- Where does the sun set in Brussels in January?
- Mid-January in Brussels: the sun sets in the southwest, a bearing of 236° measured from true north, which is 34° south of due west. It rises in the southeast, at 124°. Over the month both points shift 9° north.
- How much daylight does Brussels gain in January?
- Over January the day gets 65 minutes longer in Brussels: on January 1 the sun rises at 08:45 and sets at 16:47, and on day 31 it rises at 08:23 and sets at 17:29.
- How many hours of daylight does Brussels get in January?
- In mid-January the day lasts 8 h 24 min in Brussels, from sunrise at 08:40 to sunset at 17:04. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Brussels in January?
- In mid-January the sky starts to get light at 08:02 in Brussels, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 08:40. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Brussels in January?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-January in Brussels the sun sets at 17:04, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 17:42, 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 Brussels in January?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on January 15 does the UV index reach 3 in Brussels, and below that minimum the skin makes no vitamin D, however long you stay out. In January it is the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.