Sunset Time in Cairns Today

Sunset & Daylight Patterns Specific to Cairns

Cairns sits at 16.9° S in the tropical zone. It is spring there now, and the sun currently spends 12.3 hours above the horizon each day.

Being in the southern hemisphere, Cairns's longest days fall in December and shortest in June — the opposite of cities in North America or Europe. Solstice sunsets in December can be 13 hours after sunrise. Cairns runs from 11.1 to 13.1 hours of daylight across the year, a 2-hour swing. Today's 12.3 hours set how much room you have to move plans around.

Golden hour in Cairns lasts about 42 minutes today, with civil twilight adding a further 22 minutes of usable blue-hour light after sunset.

The most photogenic sunset conditions in Cairns come in July, August, September, when the atmosphere is clearest and high-pressure systems push cloud layers away from the western horizon. Cairns receives over 2,000mm of rain annually — almost all of it falls in just 5 months, while the dry season averages less than 30mm per month.

Civil twilight at Cairns's latitude lasts approximately 22 minutes after the sun drops below the horizon — this is the "blue hour" window of soft, diffused light that photographers prize above all others. At 16.9°, this window is brief, making precise timing critical — the sky transitions from golden to dark in under half an hour.

Sun & Moon Times in Cairns

Sunset timing in Cairns is driven by latitude and season. We apply atmospheric refraction corrections for accuracy within one minute. Golden hour begins roughly 60 minutes before sunset — the most valuable window for photography, outdoor dining, and evening walks.

Sunset in Cairns shifts by several minutes each week. Summer evenings are longest, winter sunsets arrive earliest. Cloud cover near the horizon does not change the sunset time itself, though it can hide the sun a few minutes early and often produces the most dramatic color displays.

For the best sunset experience, arrive at your viewing spot 30 minutes before the listed time. Conditions can shift — check again on the day itself.

What Determines Sunset Time?

Sunset time in Cairns is determined by the city's latitude, longitude, and the time of year. During summer, the Earth's axial tilt causes the sun to take a longer path across the sky, resulting in later sunsets. In winter, the opposite occurs — shorter days mean earlier sunsets. Near the equinoxes (March and September), sunset times change most rapidly, shifting by 2–3 minutes per day. At Cairns's latitude, the difference between the earliest and latest sunset can be several hours across the year. Our daily calculations use precise astronomical data to give you the exact sunset time accurate to the minute.