Mr. Sun — Solar Position Utility for iOS
How do I see the sun's position right now?
Open the App. The sky dome shows where the sun is in the sky relative to your current location, and the elevation gauge on the right shows how high above (or below) the horizon it is. The numbers below give the precise azimuth and elevation in degrees.
How do I see the sun for a different time of day?
Drag the slider underneath the sky map to scrub through the day. The sun glyph and the elevation gauge update live. The "Date" button below the slider lets you pick any other day.
How do I change the location?
Tap Location below the slider to open a map and drop a pin anywhere in the world. Tap Locate to snap back to your current device location. Mr. Sun will keep using whichever location you picked until you change it.
The compass button is grayed out. Why?
The compass requires a magnetometer (which most iPhones have) and the device's motion sensors to be available. If the icon is disabled, your device may not have a compass, or another app is currently using the sensors. The compass is always optional — the rest of the App works without it.
When I turn on the compass, why doesn't the map rotate at first?
Mr. Sun needs an active location fix to know your true bearing (it has to know where you are to compensate for magnetic declination). If rotation seems delayed, give the App a moment to acquire your location, or tap Locate.
How accurate are the sunrise and sunset times?
Mr. Sun uses the classical Paul Schlyter SUNRISET routine. At temperate latitudes the times are accurate to within roughly five to ten minutes. Accuracy degrades near the polar circles and during the polar day / polar night, where sunrise and sunset may not occur at all.
What algorithms does Mr. Sun use?
Sun position (azimuth and elevation) uses the PSA algorithm (Plataforma Solar de Almería). Sunrise / sunset / twilight times use Paul Schlyter's SUNRISET routine. Both run entirely on your device with no network access.
Where is my data stored?
Your most recent location and your preferences are stored locally on your device. Nothing is sent to any server. Uninstalling the App removes everything.
What devices does Mr. Sun support?
Mr. Sun 2.0 runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later.