Solar elevation angle

The solar elevation angle is the elevation angle of the sun. That is, the angle between the direction of the geometric center of the sun's apparent disk and the (idealized) horizon. It can be calculated, to a good approximation, using the following formula:

$\, \sin \theta_\mathrm{s} = \cos h \cos \delta \cos \Phi + \sin \delta \sin \Phi \,,$

where

• $\, \theta_\mathrm{s}$ is the solar elevation angle
• $\, h$ is the hour angle, in the local solar time.
• $\, \delta$ is the current Sun declination
• $\, \Phi$ is the local latitude

See also

• Altitude (astronomy)
• Horizontal coordinate system
• Solar azimuth angle
• Sun
• Sun path
• Sunrise
• Sunset