Planet Rise and Set Calculator

The calculator uses your latitude, longitude, date, and UTC offset to compute the hour angle at which the selected planet crosses the horizon (rise and set) and reaches its highest point (transit). It applies standard spherical astronomy formulas including the planet's approximate ecliptic coordinates for the given date to determine these times in your local time zone.

Transit (also called culmination) is the moment when a planet crosses the local meridian — the imaginary north-south line passing directly overhead. At transit, the planet is at its highest point above the horizon, making it the best time for viewing through a telescope or binoculars.

A planet is considered visible if it rises into your sky during the selected date and reaches a reasonable altitude above the horizon. Bright planets like Venus, Jupiter, and Mars are often easily spotted with the naked eye. Fainter ones like Uranus and Neptune typically require binoculars or a small telescope. For the best view, look when the planet is highest in the sky (near transit) and skies are dark.

Your UTC offset is the number of hours your local time is ahead of or behind Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). For example, US Eastern Standard Time is UTC-5, so you'd enter -5. If daylight saving time is currently active in your region, add 1 hour to your standard offset. You can check your current UTC offset at timeanddate.com or worldtimeserver.com.

At high latitudes, a planet can remain above the horizon for the entire day (circumpolar) or remain below it for the entire day, depending on its declination and your latitude. This is similar to the midnight sun phenomenon. The calculator will indicate when this occurs.

Planets generally do not twinkle — they shine with a steadier light than stars because they appear as small disks rather than point sources. Planets also move relative to the background stars over days and weeks, tracing their own paths across the sky. Bright planets like Venus, Jupiter, and Mars often outshine all but a handful of the brightest stars.

Azimuth is the compass bearing measured clockwise from true north (0°). An azimuth of 90° is due East, 180° is due South, and 270° is due West. Knowing the azimuth at rise and set helps you find the exact point on the horizon where a planet will appear or disappear, which is useful when planning observations around terrain or buildings.

All times are displayed in your local time, calculated by applying your entered UTC offset to the computed Universal Time values. Make sure you enter the correct UTC offset — including any daylight saving adjustment — to get accurate local rise, transit, and set times.