The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Rome in December
On December 1 in Rome the sun rises at 07:20 and sets at 16:40; on day 31 it rises at 07:38 and sets at 16:49. Over the month the day gets 9 minutes shorter.
In Rome (41.9° latitude), December 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 07:20 and sets at 16:40 on the 1st, and at 07:38 and 16:49 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 9 h 08 min and the sun reaches 25° 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 Rome at any hour of the day, however long you stay out.
Where does the sun rise and set in Rome in December?
Mid-December in Rome: the sun rises in the southeast — a bearing of 121°, measured from true north — and sets in the southwest, at 239°. That is 31° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 31° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points barely move.
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 Rome. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 06:49 | 07:20 | 16:40 | 17:11 | 9 h 19 min |
| 2 | 06:50 | 07:21 | 16:39 | 17:11 | 9 h 18 min |
| 3 | 06:51 | 07:22 | 16:39 | 17:10 | 9 h 17 min |
| 4 | 06:52 | 07:23 | 16:39 | 17:10 | 9 h 16 min |
| 5 | 06:53 | 07:24 | 16:39 | 17:10 | 9 h 15 min |
| 6 | 06:53 | 07:25 | 16:39 | 17:10 | 9 h 14 min |
| 7 | 06:54 | 07:26 | 16:39 | 17:10 | 9 h 13 min |
| 8 | 06:55 | 07:26 | 16:39 | 17:10 | 9 h 12 min |
| 9 | 06:56 | 07:27 | 16:39 | 17:11 | 9 h 12 min |
| 10 | 06:57 | 07:28 | 16:39 | 17:11 | 9 h 11 min |
| 11 | 06:57 | 07:29 | 16:39 | 17:11 | 9 h 10 min |
| 12 | 06:58 | 07:30 | 16:39 | 17:11 | 9 h 10 min |
| 13 | 06:59 | 07:30 | 16:40 | 17:11 | 9 h 09 min |
| 14 | 06:59 | 07:31 | 16:40 | 17:11 | 9 h 09 min |
| 15 | 07:00 | 07:32 | 16:40 | 17:12 | 9 h 08 min |
| 16 | 07:01 | 07:32 | 16:40 | 17:12 | 9 h 08 min |
| 17 | 07:01 | 07:33 | 16:41 | 17:12 | 9 h 08 min |
| 18 | 07:02 | 07:33 | 16:41 | 17:13 | 9 h 08 min |
| 19 | 07:02 | 07:34 | 16:41 | 17:13 | 9 h 07 min |
| 20 | 07:03 | 07:34 | 16:42 | 17:14 | 9 h 07 min |
| 21 | 07:03 | 07:35 | 16:42 | 17:14 | 9 h 07 min |
| 22 | 07:04 | 07:35 | 16:43 | 17:15 | 9 h 07 min |
| 23 | 07:04 | 07:36 | 16:43 | 17:15 | 9 h 08 min |
| 24 | 07:04 | 07:36 | 16:44 | 17:16 | 9 h 08 min |
| 25 | 07:05 | 07:37 | 16:44 | 17:16 | 9 h 08 min |
| 26 | 07:05 | 07:37 | 16:45 | 17:17 | 9 h 08 min |
| 27 | 07:05 | 07:37 | 16:46 | 17:17 | 9 h 09 min |
| 28 | 07:06 | 07:37 | 16:46 | 17:18 | 9 h 09 min |
| 29 | 07:06 | 07:38 | 16:47 | 17:19 | 9 h 10 min |
| 30 | 07:06 | 07:38 | 16:48 | 17:19 | 9 h 10 min |
| 31 | 07:06 | 07:38 | 16:49 | 17:20 | 9 h 11 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 Rome for vitamin D synthesis: the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.
See the Rome vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Rome in December
- Where does the sun set in Rome in December?
- Mid-December in Rome: the sun sets in the southwest, a bearing of 239° measured from true north, which is 31° south of due west. It rises in the southeast, at 121°. Over the month both points barely move.
- How much daylight does Rome lose in December?
- Over December the day gets 9 minutes shorter in Rome: on December 1 the sun rises at 07:20 and sets at 16:40, and on day 31 it rises at 07:38 and sets at 16:49.
- How many hours of daylight does Rome get in December?
- In mid-December the day lasts 9 h 08 min in Rome, from sunrise at 07:32 to sunset at 16:40. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Rome in December?
- In mid-December the sky starts to get light at 07:00 in Rome, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 07:32. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Rome in December?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-December in Rome the sun sets at 16:40, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 17:12, 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 Rome in December?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on December 15 does the UV index reach 3 in Rome, 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.