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Sun safety

When is the sun strongest today?

The higher the sun, the stronger it is and the faster skin burns. Here's how high it climbs today at any address, and the hours it's above 45°: when your shadow is shorter than you are.

See the shade at your home
A courtyard where a pergola throws striped shade

The sun's height, today

Today's sun, hour by hour. The yellow band is when it's above 45°.

Showing Atlanta, Georgia · example

Working out today's sun…

The shadow rule

If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun is more than 45° up and at its strongest. That's usually the middle of the day in spring and summer. If your shadow is longer than you, the sun is lower and gentler, though it can still burn.

Stay safe in the sun

Sunburn raises the risk of skin cancer. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or more, reapply every two hours and after swimming, and take breaks in the shade, most of all when the sun is above 45°. Check your local UV index, which also depends on cloud and altitude.

Find the sunny and shady spots at home

Shade Map shows where the sun and shade fall in your yard at any hour, so you can put the lounger where the sun is, and know where to retreat when it's too strong.

Questions

What time is the sun strongest?

Around solar noon, when it's highest. In much of the United States in summer that's around 1 PM with daylight saving. It's strongest whenever it's above about 45°, when your shadow is shorter than you are.

Is it safe to tan?

Any tan is a sign of skin damage. If you're in the sun, use broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or more, reapply often, and take breaks in the shade, especially in the middle of the day.

Does the sun's height change through the year?

Yes. At the same latitude it's much higher at noon in June than in December, which is why summer sun burns faster.

More on sun and shade at home