Planning a Sunrise Photo Shoot: The Complete Checklist
Sunrise shoots reward people who plan. This checklist covers the night before, the drive out and the first light, so you are set up when…
Mesa, Arizona · Saturday, October 24, 2026
Sunrise and Sunset in Mesa Today
Today, Saturday, October 24, 2026, the sun rises at and sets at MST in Mesa, Arizona, giving 11 hours, 4 minutes of daylight, 1 minute 55 seconds shorter than yesterday.
Sunrise
Rises in the ESE at 104°
Sunset
Sets in the WSW at 256°
Daylight
11h 04m
−1m 55s vs yesterday
First lightCivil dawn, sun 6° below
Solar noonSun 44.6° above the horizon
Last lightCivil dusk, sun 6° below
Daylight and twilight across the day
Local time, America/Phoenix (UTC−7)
- Night
- Astronomical twilight
- Nautical twilight
- Civil twilight
- Daylight
- Golden hour
| Dawn | Dusk | |
|---|---|---|
| Astronomical −18° | ||
| Nautical −12° | ||
| Civil −6° | ||
| Sunrise / sunset |
| Morning | Evening | |
|---|---|---|
| Blue hour | – | – |
| Golden hour | – | – |
Sunrise and sunset in Mesa for the next 7 days
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today Oct 24 | 11h 04m | −1m 55s | ||
| Sun Oct 25 | 11h 02m | −1m 54s | ||
| Mon Oct 26 | 11h 00m | −1m 53s | ||
| Tue Oct 27 | 10h 58m | −1m 52s | ||
| Wed Oct 28 | 10h 56m | −1m 52s | ||
| Thu Oct 29 | 10h 55m | −1m 51s | ||
| Fri Oct 30 | 10h 53m | −1m 50s |
Daylight in Mesa through 2026
Sunrise and sunset each day; steps in the lines are clock changes.
- Daylight
- Civil twilight
- Night
Longest dayJune 20, 202614h 22m of daylight
Shortest dayDecember 21, 20269h 56m of daylight
Earliest sunriseJune 4, 2026
Latest sunsetJune 26, 2026
Latest sunriseJanuary 7, 2026
Earliest sunsetNovember 27, 2026
Month by month in 2026
Seasons and clock changes
| March equinox | March 20, 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| June solstice longest day | June 21, 2026 | |
| September equinox | September 22, 2026 | |
| December solstice shortest day | December 21, 2026 |
Mesa does not change its clocks in 2026.
The moon tonight
Waxing Gibbous
97% illuminated · 13.3 days old
Moonrise · Moonset
Next full moon: the Hunter's Moon, Sunday, October 25, 2026 at .
Sunrise and sunset in places near Mesa
Today's times; the difference is against Mesa.
| Place | Distance | Sunrise | Sunset | Sunrise vs Mesa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tempe | 5.0 mi W | same minute | ||
| Gilbert | 5.2 mi SSE | same minute | ||
| Tempe Junction | 7.0 mi W | same minute | ||
| Scottsdale | 7.4 mi NW | same minute | ||
| Chandler | 8.1 mi S | same minute | ||
| Guadalupe | 8.8 mi WSW | 30 seconds later | ||
| Paradise Valley | 10 mi NW | 36 seconds later | ||
| Fountain Hills | 14 mi NNE | same minute | ||
| Phoenix | 15 mi W | 1 minute 2 seconds later | ||
| Sun Lakes | 15 mi SSW | same minute |
Larger cities nearby
About Mesa
- Location
- Mesa, Arizona, United States
- County / district
- Maricopa County
- Coordinates
- 33.4223°N, 111.8226°W
- Elevation
- 378 m (1,240 ft)
- Time zone
- America/Phoenix, MST (UTC−7)
- Population
- 471,825
How these times are calculated
Sunrise and sunset are the moments the top edge of the sun meets a flat, sea-level horizon, with standard atmospheric refraction (the sun's centre 0.833° below the horizon). Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight begin when the sun is 6°, 12° and 18° below. Golden hour is the sun between 6° above and 4° below.
Questions about sunrise and sunset in Mesa
What time is sunrise in Mesa today?
Sunrise in Mesa, Arizona today, Saturday, October 24, 2026, is at 6:39 AM MST, and sunset is at 5:43 PM.
How many hours of daylight does Mesa get today?
Mesa gets 11 hours, 4 minutes of daylight today, 1 minute 55 seconds shorter than yesterday.
When is golden hour in Mesa this evening?
Evening golden hour in Mesa runs from 5:09 PM to 5:59 PM MST today.
When is the longest day of 2026 in Mesa?
The longest day of 2026 in Mesa is June 20, 2026, with 14 hours, 22 minutes of daylight. The shortest is December 21, 2026, with 9 hours, 56 minutes.
What time zone is Mesa in?
Mesa uses the America/Phoenix time zone, currently MST (UTC−7).
From the guides
Photographing the Full Moon Rising: Planning With Azimuth and Timing
The giant moon behind a lighthouse is not luck. It is a date, a direction, a distance, and a few minutes of light, all worked out before…