The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Edinburgh in September
On September 1 in Edinburgh the sun rises at 06:20 and sets at 20:05; on day 30 it rises at 07:19 and sets at 18:45. Over the month the day gets 138 minutes shorter.
In Edinburgh (56.0° latitude), September 2026 has 30 days whose sun rises at 06:20 and sets at 20:05 on the 1st, and at 07:19 and 18:45 on the 30th. Mid-month the day lasts 12 h 38 min and the sun reaches 36° 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 September there is no vitamin D synthesis in Edinburgh at any hour of the day, however long you stay out.
Where does the sun rise and set in Edinburgh in September?
Mid-September in Edinburgh: the sun rises in the east — a bearing of 85°, measured from true north — and sets in the west, at 275°. That is 5° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 5° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 21° 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 Edinburgh. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05:41 | 06:20 | 20:05 | 20:44 | 13 h 45 min |
| 2 | 05:43 | 06:22 | 20:02 | 20:41 | 13 h 40 min |
| 3 | 05:45 | 06:24 | 19:59 | 20:38 | 13 h 35 min |
| 4 | 05:47 | 06:26 | 19:57 | 20:35 | 13 h 31 min |
| 5 | 05:49 | 06:28 | 19:54 | 20:32 | 13 h 26 min |
| 6 | 05:52 | 06:30 | 19:51 | 20:30 | 13 h 21 min |
| 7 | 05:54 | 06:32 | 19:48 | 20:27 | 13 h 16 min |
| 8 | 05:56 | 06:34 | 19:46 | 20:24 | 13 h 12 min |
| 9 | 05:58 | 06:36 | 19:43 | 20:21 | 13 h 07 min |
| 10 | 06:00 | 06:38 | 19:40 | 20:18 | 13 h 02 min |
| 11 | 06:02 | 06:40 | 19:37 | 20:15 | 12 h 57 min |
| 12 | 06:04 | 06:42 | 19:35 | 20:12 | 12 h 53 min |
| 13 | 06:07 | 06:44 | 19:32 | 20:09 | 12 h 48 min |
| 14 | 06:09 | 06:46 | 19:29 | 20:07 | 12 h 43 min |
| 15 | 06:11 | 06:48 | 19:26 | 20:04 | 12 h 38 min |
| 16 | 06:13 | 06:50 | 19:24 | 20:01 | 12 h 33 min |
| 17 | 06:15 | 06:52 | 19:21 | 19:58 | 12 h 29 min |
| 18 | 06:17 | 06:54 | 19:18 | 19:55 | 12 h 24 min |
| 19 | 06:19 | 06:56 | 19:15 | 19:52 | 12 h 19 min |
| 20 | 06:21 | 06:58 | 19:13 | 19:50 | 12 h 14 min |
| 21 | 06:23 | 07:00 | 19:10 | 19:47 | 12 h 10 min |
| 22 | 06:25 | 07:02 | 19:07 | 19:44 | 12 h 05 min |
| 23 | 06:27 | 07:04 | 19:04 | 19:41 | 12 h 00 min |
| 24 | 06:29 | 07:06 | 19:02 | 19:39 | 11 h 55 min |
| 25 | 06:31 | 07:08 | 18:59 | 19:36 | 11 h 50 min |
| 26 | 06:33 | 07:10 | 18:56 | 19:33 | 11 h 46 min |
| 27 | 06:36 | 07:12 | 18:53 | 19:30 | 11 h 41 min |
| 28 | 06:38 | 07:15 | 18:51 | 19:28 | 11 h 36 min |
| 29 | 06:40 | 07:17 | 18:48 | 19:25 | 11 h 31 min |
| 30 | 06:42 | 07:19 | 18:45 | 19:22 | 11 h 27 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in September?
In September the sun doesn't climb high enough in Edinburgh for vitamin D synthesis: the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.
See the Edinburgh vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Edinburgh in September
- Where does the sun set in Edinburgh in September?
- Mid-September in Edinburgh: the sun sets in the west, a bearing of 275° measured from true north, which is 5° north of due west. It rises in the east, at 85°. Over the month both points shift 21° south.
- How much daylight does Edinburgh lose in September?
- Over September the day gets 138 minutes shorter in Edinburgh: on September 1 the sun rises at 06:20 and sets at 20:05, and on day 30 it rises at 07:19 and sets at 18:45.
- How many hours of daylight does Edinburgh get in September?
- In mid-September the day lasts 12 h 38 min in Edinburgh, from sunrise at 06:48 to sunset at 19:26. The table has the day length for each of the 30 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Edinburgh in September?
- In mid-September the sky starts to get light at 06:11 in Edinburgh, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 06:48. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Edinburgh in September?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-September in Edinburgh the sun sets at 19:26, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 20:04, 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 Edinburgh in September?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on September 15 does the UV index reach 3 in Edinburgh, and below that minimum the skin makes no vitamin D, however long you stay out. In September it is the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.