The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Paris in May
On May 1 in Paris the sun rises at 06:31 and sets at 21:04; on day 31 it rises at 05:52 and sets at 21:44. Over the month the day grows 79 minutes longer.
Where does the sun rise and set in Paris in May?
Mid-May in Paris: the sun rises in the northeast — a bearing of 60°, measured from true north — and sets in the northwest, at 300°. That is 30° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 30° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 12° 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 Paris. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05:56 | 06:31 | 21:04 | 21:40 | 14 h 33 min |
| 2 | 05:54 | 06:30 | 21:06 | 21:41 | 14 h 36 min |
| 3 | 05:52 | 06:28 | 21:07 | 21:43 | 14 h 39 min |
| 4 | 05:50 | 06:26 | 21:09 | 21:45 | 14 h 42 min |
| 5 | 05:48 | 06:24 | 21:10 | 21:46 | 14 h 46 min |
| 6 | 05:47 | 06:23 | 21:12 | 21:48 | 14 h 49 min |
| 7 | 05:45 | 06:21 | 21:13 | 21:49 | 14 h 52 min |
| 8 | 05:43 | 06:20 | 21:14 | 21:51 | 14 h 55 min |
| 9 | 05:41 | 06:18 | 21:16 | 21:53 | 14 h 58 min |
| 10 | 05:40 | 06:17 | 21:17 | 21:54 | 15 h 01 min |
| 11 | 05:38 | 06:15 | 21:19 | 21:56 | 15 h 04 min |
| 12 | 05:36 | 06:14 | 21:20 | 21:58 | 15 h 07 min |
| 13 | 05:35 | 06:12 | 21:22 | 21:59 | 15 h 09 min |
| 14 | 05:33 | 06:11 | 21:23 | 22:01 | 15 h 12 min |
| 15 | 05:31 | 06:09 | 21:24 | 22:02 | 15 h 15 min |
| 16 | 05:30 | 06:08 | 21:26 | 22:04 | 15 h 18 min |
| 17 | 05:28 | 06:07 | 21:27 | 22:05 | 15 h 20 min |
| 18 | 05:27 | 06:05 | 21:28 | 22:07 | 15 h 23 min |
| 19 | 05:26 | 06:04 | 21:30 | 22:08 | 15 h 25 min |
| 20 | 05:24 | 06:03 | 21:31 | 22:10 | 15 h 28 min |
| 21 | 05:23 | 06:02 | 21:32 | 22:11 | 15 h 30 min |
| 22 | 05:21 | 06:01 | 21:34 | 22:13 | 15 h 33 min |
| 23 | 05:20 | 06:00 | 21:35 | 22:14 | 15 h 35 min |
| 24 | 05:19 | 05:59 | 21:36 | 22:16 | 15 h 37 min |
| 25 | 05:18 | 05:58 | 21:37 | 22:17 | 15 h 40 min |
| 26 | 05:17 | 05:57 | 21:38 | 22:18 | 15 h 42 min |
| 27 | 05:16 | 05:56 | 21:39 | 22:20 | 15 h 44 min |
| 28 | 05:14 | 05:55 | 21:41 | 22:21 | 15 h 46 min |
| 29 | 05:13 | 05:54 | 21:42 | 22:22 | 15 h 48 min |
| 30 | 05:12 | 05:53 | 21:43 | 22:23 | 15 h 50 min |
| 31 | 05:12 | 05:52 | 21:44 | 22:25 | 15 h 51 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 Paris runs from 11:00 to 18:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~9 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Paris vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Paris in May
- Where does the sun set in Paris in May?
- Mid-May in Paris: the sun sets in the northwest, a bearing of 300° measured from true north, which is 30° north of due west. It rises in the northeast, at 60°. Over the month both points shift 12° north.
- How much daylight does Paris gain in May?
- Over May the day gets 79 minutes longer in Paris: on May 1 the sun rises at 06:31 and sets at 21:04, and on day 31 it rises at 05:52 and sets at 21:44.
- How many hours of daylight does Paris get in May?
- In mid-May the day lasts 15 h 15 min in Paris, from sunrise at 06:09 to sunset at 21:24. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Paris in May?
- In mid-May the sky starts to get light at 05:31 in Paris, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 06:09. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Paris in May?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-May in Paris the sun sets at 21:24, 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 Paris in May?
- In mid-May, between 11:00 and 18:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in Paris, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 9 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.