The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Copenhagen in May
On May 1 in Copenhagen the sun rises at 05:28 and sets at 20:45; on day 31 it rises at 04:35 and sets at 21:39. Over the month the day grows 108 minutes longer.
Where does the sun rise and set in Copenhagen in May?
Mid-May in Copenhagen: the sun rises in the northeast — a bearing of 54°, measured from true north — and sets in the northwest, at 306°. That is 36° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 36° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 15° 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 Copenhagen. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 04:45 | 05:28 | 20:45 | 21:29 | 15 h 17 min |
| 2 | 04:42 | 05:26 | 20:47 | 21:31 | 15 h 21 min |
| 3 | 04:39 | 05:24 | 20:49 | 21:34 | 15 h 25 min |
| 4 | 04:37 | 05:22 | 20:51 | 21:36 | 15 h 30 min |
| 5 | 04:34 | 05:19 | 20:53 | 21:38 | 15 h 34 min |
| 6 | 04:32 | 05:17 | 20:55 | 21:41 | 15 h 38 min |
| 7 | 04:29 | 05:15 | 20:57 | 21:43 | 15 h 42 min |
| 8 | 04:27 | 05:13 | 20:59 | 21:45 | 15 h 46 min |
| 9 | 04:24 | 05:11 | 21:01 | 21:48 | 15 h 50 min |
| 10 | 04:22 | 05:09 | 21:03 | 21:50 | 15 h 54 min |
| 11 | 04:19 | 05:07 | 21:05 | 21:53 | 15 h 58 min |
| 12 | 04:17 | 05:05 | 21:07 | 21:55 | 16 h 02 min |
| 13 | 04:15 | 05:03 | 21:09 | 21:57 | 16 h 06 min |
| 14 | 04:12 | 05:01 | 21:11 | 21:59 | 16 h 10 min |
| 15 | 04:10 | 04:59 | 21:13 | 22:02 | 16 h 14 min |
| 16 | 04:08 | 04:57 | 21:15 | 22:04 | 16 h 17 min |
| 17 | 04:06 | 04:56 | 21:16 | 22:06 | 16 h 21 min |
| 18 | 04:03 | 04:54 | 21:18 | 22:09 | 16 h 25 min |
| 19 | 04:01 | 04:52 | 21:20 | 22:11 | 16 h 28 min |
| 20 | 03:59 | 04:50 | 21:22 | 22:13 | 16 h 31 min |
| 21 | 03:57 | 04:49 | 21:24 | 22:15 | 16 h 35 min |
| 22 | 03:55 | 04:47 | 21:25 | 22:17 | 16 h 38 min |
| 23 | 03:53 | 04:46 | 21:27 | 22:19 | 16 h 41 min |
| 24 | 03:51 | 04:44 | 21:29 | 22:22 | 16 h 45 min |
| 25 | 03:49 | 04:43 | 21:30 | 22:24 | 16 h 48 min |
| 26 | 03:47 | 04:41 | 21:32 | 22:26 | 16 h 51 min |
| 27 | 03:46 | 04:40 | 21:34 | 22:28 | 16 h 54 min |
| 28 | 03:44 | 04:39 | 21:35 | 22:30 | 16 h 56 min |
| 29 | 03:42 | 04:37 | 21:37 | 22:32 | 16 h 59 min |
| 30 | 03:41 | 04:36 | 21:38 | 22:34 | 17 h 02 min |
| 31 | 03:39 | 04:35 | 21:39 | 22:35 | 17 h 04 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 Copenhagen runs from 11:00 to 16:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~12 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Copenhagen vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Copenhagen in May
- Where does the sun set in Copenhagen in May?
- Mid-May in Copenhagen: the sun sets in the northwest, a bearing of 306° measured from true north, which is 36° north of due west. It rises in the northeast, at 54°. Over the month both points shift 15° north.
- How much daylight does Copenhagen gain in May?
- Over May the day gets 108 minutes longer in Copenhagen: on May 1 the sun rises at 05:28 and sets at 20:45, and on day 31 it rises at 04:35 and sets at 21:39.
- How many hours of daylight does Copenhagen get in May?
- In mid-May the day lasts 16 h 14 min in Copenhagen, from sunrise at 04:59 to sunset at 21:13. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Copenhagen in May?
- In mid-May the sky starts to get light at 04:10 in Copenhagen, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 04:59. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Copenhagen in May?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-May in Copenhagen the sun sets at 21:13, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 22:02, 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 Copenhagen 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 Copenhagen, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 12 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.