Sunrise & sunset in Cape Town today

In Cape Town, South Africa, the sun rises today at 07:10:25 and sets at 18:27:17, giving the city 11h 16m 51s of daylight from its latitude of -33.9°. The sun reaches its highest point at solar noon (12:48:51), when shadows are at their shortest for the day.

The sun rises in the east in Cape Town, but the exact compass bearing shifts throughout the year. At the spring equinox (around March 20) and autumn equinox (around September 22), the sun rises almost due east at an azimuth of approximately 90 degrees. Near the winter solstice (around December 21), sunrise shifts to the southeast, while near the summer solstice (around June 21), it shifts to the northeast.

For photographers, knowing the azimuth matters: if you want the sun to illuminate a specific building or landscape feature from a particular angle, you need to know not just the time of sunrise but its compass direction on that date. At -33.9° latitude, the maximum azimuth deviation from due east at the solstices is approximately 24 degrees.

The golden hour occurs twice daily in Cape Town, lasting approximately 45 to 70 minutes at this time of year. The morning golden hour runs from civil dawn until roughly one hour after sunrise, casting long, warm shadows across Cape Town. The evening golden hour begins about one hour before sunset and continues until civil dusk.

During golden hour, the sun's low angle means light travels through significantly more atmosphere than at midday, filtering out blue wavelengths and producing warm orange and red tones. The color temperature drops from the standard 5,500K of midday light to around 3,000 to 4,000K at golden hour, similar to a candle flame. This warm, directional light creates long shadows that add depth to any scene.

For photographers in Cape Town, optimal golden hour shooting technique requires: arriving 30 to 45 minutes before the listed golden hour start to scout compositions and set up equipment; using a tripod for sharpness in lower light; setting ISO to 100 to 400 to minimize noise; using an aperture of f/8 to f/16 for maximum landscape sharpness; and using a shutter speed of 1/1000s if shooting handheld. As light fades toward golden hour end, increase ISO to maintain exposure rather than opening the aperture beyond f/4.

Blue hour in Cape Town occurs at civil and nautical twilight, both morning and evening. When the sun sits between 4 and 8 degrees below the horizon, scattered sunlight illuminates the upper atmosphere in deep indigo and cobalt blue tones, ideal for cityscapes and architectural photography. Blue hour typically lasts 20 to 40 minutes and occurs twice daily: before sunrise (morning blue hour) and after sunset (evening blue hour).

The three stages of twilight in Cape Town follow a precise sequence. Civil twilight occurs when the sun is 0 to 6 degrees below the horizon: enough light remains for outdoor activities without artificial lighting, and the brightest stars become visible. Nautical twilight covers the 6 to 12 degree range: the horizon remains visible at sea, but artificial light is needed for most tasks on land. Astronomical twilight spans 12 to 18 degrees below the horizon: the sky is dark enough for most astronomical observations, though the faintest objects require full night.

Blue hour photography in Cape Town requires different camera settings than golden hour. Because light levels are lower, a tripod is essential for sharp images. Recommended settings: ISO 400 to 1,600 depending on scene brightness; aperture f/8 for maximum depth of field; shutter speed 15 to 60 seconds to allow sufficient light. Shoot in RAW format to retain maximum detail in the blue-toned shadows.

At latitude -33.9°, Cape Town experiences significant seasonal changes in daylight throughout the year. The difference in daylight between the longest and shortest days reaches approximately 5 hours, peaking in December and reaching its minimum in June.

Near the equinoxes (March and September), day length in Cape Town changes fastest, gaining or losing approximately 2 to 3 minutes of daylight per day. Near the solstices, day length changes slowly, gaining or losing less than 30 seconds per day near the peak. This phenomenon, known as the solstice effect, means that December offers the most stable golden hour window before rapid day-length changes resume.

Four major solar events define the year in Cape Town. The spring equinox (around March 20) brings equal day and night, after which days grow longer through the winter months. The winter solstice (around December 21) is the longest day of the year at Cape Town's latitude. The autumn equinox (around September 22) marks the return to equal day and night, after which days shorten. The summer solstice (around June 21) is the shortest day, when the sun rises at its most northeastern point and reaches its lowest arc across the sky.

For photographers, the solstices offer unique lighting geometry that is unavailable on any other day of the year. Planning solstice shoots 2 to 3 weeks in advance and checking weather forecasts in the days before maximizes the chance of capturing this annual light.

Planning a successful sunrise or sunset shoot in Cape Town requires coordinating three elements: the exact sun position for your target date, the right camera settings for the light level, and weather conditions that favor dramatic light. For sunrise photography, the checklist is: check today's sunrise time on this page; arrive at your location 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise to set up during blue hour; check weather forecasts the night before (partly cloudy skies create more dramatic golden hour light than perfectly clear or fully overcast skies); and have your camera on a tripod with settings ready to adjust as light levels change quickly.

Recommended camera settings by phase in Cape Town:
- Astronomical twilight (90 minutes before sunrise): ISO 3,200; aperture f/2.8; shutter speed 30 seconds. Stars are still visible.
- Nautical twilight (60 minutes before sunrise): ISO 1,600; aperture f/4; shutter speed 15 seconds. City lights balance with deep blue sky.
- Blue hour (30 minutes before sunrise): ISO 800; aperture f/8; shutter speed 10 to 30 seconds on tripod. Cobalt blue sky with sharp foreground.
- Golden hour (sunrise to 60 minutes after): ISO 100 to 400; aperture f/8 to f/16; shutter speed 1/250 to 1/1,000s handheld. Warm directional light, long shadows.
- Full daylight (2 or more hours after sunrise): ISO 100; aperture f/8; shutter speed 1/250 to 1/2,000s. Neutral light, best for detail shots.

Tonight's moon in Cape Town is in the Full Moon phase at 98% illumination. For astrophotography in Cape Town, the best conditions for capturing the Milky Way and deep-sky objects occur during new moon nights, when the sky is darkest. The moon's current 98% illumination creates significant sky glow that reduces the visibility of faint stars and nebulae. Wait for the moon to set before attempting astrophotography this evening.