The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Rome in May
On May 1 in Rome the sun rises at 06:07 and sets at 20:07; on day 31 it rises at 05:38 and sets at 20:37. Over the month the day grows 59 minutes longer.
In Rome (41.9° latitude), May 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 06:07 and sets at 20:07 on the 1st, and at 05:38 and 20:37 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 14 h 32 min and the sun reaches 67° above the horizon. Vitamin D synthesis is possible between 10:00 and 17:00, which is when the UV index reaches at least 3: at the best moment of the day about 7 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.
Where does the sun rise and set in Rome in May?
Mid-May in Rome: the sun rises in the northeast — a bearing of 64°, measured from true north — and sets in the northwest, at 296°. That is 26° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 26° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 10° 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 Rome. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05:37 | 06:07 | 20:07 | 20:37 | 14 h 00 min |
| 2 | 05:35 | 06:06 | 20:08 | 20:39 | 14 h 02 min |
| 3 | 05:34 | 06:04 | 20:09 | 20:40 | 14 h 05 min |
| 4 | 05:32 | 06:03 | 20:10 | 20:41 | 14 h 07 min |
| 5 | 05:31 | 06:02 | 20:12 | 20:42 | 14 h 10 min |
| 6 | 05:30 | 06:00 | 20:13 | 20:43 | 14 h 12 min |
| 7 | 05:28 | 05:59 | 20:14 | 20:45 | 14 h 15 min |
| 8 | 05:27 | 05:58 | 20:15 | 20:46 | 14 h 17 min |
| 9 | 05:26 | 05:57 | 20:16 | 20:47 | 14 h 19 min |
| 10 | 05:24 | 05:56 | 20:17 | 20:48 | 14 h 21 min |
| 11 | 05:23 | 05:54 | 20:18 | 20:49 | 14 h 24 min |
| 12 | 05:22 | 05:53 | 20:19 | 20:51 | 14 h 26 min |
| 13 | 05:21 | 05:52 | 20:20 | 20:52 | 14 h 28 min |
| 14 | 05:20 | 05:51 | 20:21 | 20:53 | 14 h 30 min |
| 15 | 05:18 | 05:50 | 20:22 | 20:54 | 14 h 32 min |
| 16 | 05:17 | 05:49 | 20:23 | 20:55 | 14 h 34 min |
| 17 | 05:16 | 05:48 | 20:24 | 20:56 | 14 h 36 min |
| 18 | 05:15 | 05:47 | 20:25 | 20:58 | 14 h 38 min |
| 19 | 05:14 | 05:46 | 20:26 | 20:59 | 14 h 40 min |
| 20 | 05:13 | 05:45 | 20:27 | 21:00 | 14 h 42 min |
| 21 | 05:12 | 05:45 | 20:28 | 21:01 | 14 h 44 min |
| 22 | 05:11 | 05:44 | 20:29 | 21:02 | 14 h 46 min |
| 23 | 05:10 | 05:43 | 20:30 | 21:03 | 14 h 47 min |
| 24 | 05:09 | 05:42 | 20:31 | 21:04 | 14 h 49 min |
| 25 | 05:09 | 05:41 | 20:32 | 21:05 | 14 h 51 min |
| 26 | 05:08 | 05:41 | 20:33 | 21:06 | 14 h 52 min |
| 27 | 05:07 | 05:40 | 20:34 | 21:07 | 14 h 54 min |
| 28 | 05:06 | 05:39 | 20:35 | 21:08 | 14 h 55 min |
| 29 | 05:06 | 05:39 | 20:36 | 21:09 | 14 h 57 min |
| 30 | 05:05 | 05:38 | 20:36 | 21:10 | 14 h 58 min |
| 31 | 05:04 | 05:38 | 20:37 | 21:11 | 14 h 59 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 Rome runs from 10:00 to 17:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~7 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Rome vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Rome in May
- Where does the sun set in Rome in May?
- Mid-May in Rome: the sun sets in the northwest, a bearing of 296° measured from true north, which is 26° north of due west. It rises in the northeast, at 64°. Over the month both points shift 10° north.
- How much daylight does Rome gain in May?
- Over May the day gets 59 minutes longer in Rome: on May 1 the sun rises at 06:07 and sets at 20:07, and on day 31 it rises at 05:38 and sets at 20:37.
- How many hours of daylight does Rome get in May?
- In mid-May the day lasts 14 h 32 min in Rome, from sunrise at 05:50 to sunset at 20:22. 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 May?
- In mid-May the sky starts to get light at 05:18 in Rome, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 05:50. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Rome in May?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-May in Rome the sun sets at 20:22, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 20:54, 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 May?
- In mid-May, between 10:00 and 17:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in Rome, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 7 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.