The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Helsinki in December
On December 1 in Helsinki the sun rises at 09:00 and sets at 15:20; on day 31 it rises at 09:25 and sets at 15:22. Over the month the day gets 22 minutes shorter.
In Helsinki (60.2° latitude), December 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 09:00 and sets at 15:20 on the 1st, and at 09:25 and 15:22 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 5 h 51 min and the sun reaches 7° 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 Helsinki at any hour of the day, however long you stay out.
Where does the sun rise and set in Helsinki in December?
Mid-December in Helsinki: the sun rises in the southeast — a bearing of 140°, measured from true north — and sets in the southwest, at 220°. That is 50° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 50° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 3° 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 Helsinki. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 08:05 | 09:00 | 15:20 | 16:15 | 6 h 19 min |
| 2 | 08:07 | 09:02 | 15:19 | 16:14 | 6 h 17 min |
| 3 | 08:08 | 09:04 | 15:18 | 16:14 | 6 h 14 min |
| 4 | 08:10 | 09:06 | 15:17 | 16:13 | 6 h 11 min |
| 5 | 08:11 | 09:07 | 15:16 | 16:12 | 6 h 09 min |
| 6 | 08:12 | 09:09 | 15:15 | 16:12 | 6 h 06 min |
| 7 | 08:14 | 09:11 | 15:15 | 16:11 | 6 h 04 min |
| 8 | 08:15 | 09:12 | 15:14 | 16:11 | 6 h 02 min |
| 9 | 08:16 | 09:13 | 15:13 | 16:11 | 6 h 00 min |
| 10 | 08:17 | 09:15 | 15:13 | 16:10 | 5 h 58 min |
| 11 | 08:18 | 09:16 | 15:13 | 16:10 | 5 h 57 min |
| 12 | 08:19 | 09:17 | 15:12 | 16:10 | 5 h 55 min |
| 13 | 08:20 | 09:18 | 15:12 | 16:10 | 5 h 54 min |
| 14 | 08:21 | 09:19 | 15:12 | 16:10 | 5 h 52 min |
| 15 | 08:22 | 09:20 | 15:12 | 16:10 | 5 h 51 min |
| 16 | 08:23 | 09:21 | 15:12 | 16:10 | 5 h 51 min |
| 17 | 08:24 | 09:22 | 15:12 | 16:10 | 5 h 50 min |
| 18 | 08:24 | 09:23 | 15:12 | 16:10 | 5 h 49 min |
| 19 | 08:25 | 09:23 | 15:12 | 16:11 | 5 h 49 min |
| 20 | 08:26 | 09:24 | 15:13 | 16:11 | 5 h 49 min |
| 21 | 08:26 | 09:24 | 15:13 | 16:12 | 5 h 49 min |
| 22 | 08:27 | 09:25 | 15:14 | 16:12 | 5 h 49 min |
| 23 | 08:27 | 09:25 | 15:14 | 16:13 | 5 h 49 min |
| 24 | 08:27 | 09:25 | 15:15 | 16:13 | 5 h 50 min |
| 25 | 08:27 | 09:26 | 15:16 | 16:14 | 5 h 50 min |
| 26 | 08:28 | 09:26 | 15:17 | 16:15 | 5 h 51 min |
| 27 | 08:28 | 09:26 | 15:18 | 16:16 | 5 h 52 min |
| 28 | 08:28 | 09:26 | 15:19 | 16:17 | 5 h 53 min |
| 29 | 08:28 | 09:25 | 15:20 | 16:18 | 5 h 54 min |
| 30 | 08:28 | 09:25 | 15:21 | 16:19 | 5 h 56 min |
| 31 | 08:27 | 09:25 | 15:22 | 16:20 | 5 h 57 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 Helsinki for vitamin D synthesis: the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.
See the Helsinki vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Helsinki in December
- Where does the sun set in Helsinki in December?
- Mid-December in Helsinki: the sun sets in the southwest, a bearing of 220° measured from true north, which is 50° south of due west. It rises in the southeast, at 140°. Over the month both points shift 3° south.
- How much daylight does Helsinki lose in December?
- Over December the day gets 22 minutes shorter in Helsinki: on December 1 the sun rises at 09:00 and sets at 15:20, and on day 31 it rises at 09:25 and sets at 15:22.
- How many hours of daylight does Helsinki get in December?
- In mid-December the day lasts 5 h 51 min in Helsinki, from sunrise at 09:20 to sunset at 15:12. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Helsinki in December?
- In mid-December the sky starts to get light at 08:22 in Helsinki, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 09:20. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Helsinki in December?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-December in Helsinki the sun sets at 15:12, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 16:10, 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 Helsinki in December?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on December 15 does the UV index reach 3 in Helsinki, 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.