Latitude & Daylight at Cape Town

Cape Town sits at latitude -33.9°. At this latitude, daylight varies from approximately 9.7h in summer (solstice) to 9.7h in winter — a seasonal swing of 0.0h. The sun reaches a maximum altitude of 79.5° at summer solstice and a minimum of 32.6° at winter solstice. This mid-latitude profile is what shapes Cape Town's unique sunrise, sunset, and golden hour patterns year-round.

Cape Town is home to the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in the suburb of Observatory — the southern hemisphere's oldest permanent observatory, operating since 1820. Table Mountain, rising 1,085 meters directly behind the city, creates a unique orographic cloud phenomenon called the 'tablecloth' — a layer of cloud that forms as southeast winds push moist air up the mountain face, creating dramatic sunset silhouettes visible across the city bowl.

Golden Hour Photography at Cape Town

Golden hour at Cape Town occurs when the sun sits between −4° and 6° above the horizon, producing soft, warm, directional light ideal for portrait and landscape photography. At Cape Town's latitude, morning golden hour typically starts in the hour after sunrise and lasts approximately 28–40 minutes. Evening golden hour mirrors this before sunset. The longer twilight at this latitude gives photographers more time to capture the 'magic hour' compared to equatorial locations where the sun sets more steeply.

At 33.9°S, Cape Town celebrates its December solstice with 14 hours and 25 minutes of daylight — midsummer at the southern tip of Africa. The city's position on a peninsula between two oceans (Atlantic and Indian) means the Sun rises over the Indian Ocean and sets over the Atlantic, a rare geographic privilege that only a handful of coastal cities worldwide can offer.

UV Exposure & Sun Safety at Cape Town

UV radiation at Cape Town peaks when the sun is highest in the sky — around solar noon. At -33.9° latitude, peak UV levels vary significantly by season: summer months see UV indices of 6–9 (high), while winter months typically register 1–3 (low). The World Health Organization recommends sun protection when UV index exceeds 3. At Cape Town's latitude, this threshold is exceeded for approximately 6–8 months per year, making sun awareness a year-round consideration for outdoor workers and athletes.

How We Calculate Solar Data for Cape Town

All solar calculations for Cape Town use the Jean Meeus Chapter 25 solar position algorithm with bisection iteration, accurate to ±1 minute for dates between 1901–2099. Sunrise and sunset times define the moment the upper limb of the sun appears on the horizon, accounting for atmospheric refraction. Daily data is calculated client-side from Cape Town's coordinates (-33.9°, 18.4°) — zero server processing means your location data never leaves your device.