Safe Fajr cutoff · 2 min before sunrise—Astronomical sunrise: —
United Kingdom · MWL calculation
Prayer times in Bournemouth
⌖
Safe Maghrib time · 2 min after sunset—Astronomical sunset: —
Safety buffers: the Fajr cutoff is two minutes before sunrise, Maghrib is two minutes after sunset, and Dhuhr is five minutes after calculated solar noon. The underlying astronomical boundaries remain explained in Research.
The science behind the time
How can sunset be calculated so precisely?
The Sun’s apparent position can be predicted from the date and the location’s latitude and longitude. The calculation finds solar noon, corrects it using longitude and the equation of time, then solves for the moment the Sun reaches the standard horizon angle.
Position
Earth’s orbit and axial tilt determine the Sun’s declination—the Sun’s apparent north–south position—for that date.
Horizon
Sunrise and sunset use a solar altitude of −0.833°. This combines the Sun’s apparent radius with average atmospheric refraction.
Local clock
The result is converted from solar time to UK clock time using the city’s longitude, with GMT or BST applied automatically.
Hour-angle equationcos H = (sin h − sin φ sin δ) ÷ (cos φ cos δ)h = solar altitude · φ = latitude · δ = solar declination
How accurate is it?
For UK latitudes, the underlying astronomical result is normally accurate to around a minute. What you physically observe can differ because refraction changes with atmospheric pressure and temperature, while hills, buildings and observer height change the visible horizon. This is why a mosque may add a small safety adjustment.
Prayer nearby
Mosques in Bournemouth
Local mosque information loads only after you select or confirm a city. Each mosque links to its official timetable where available because jamaat times are set locally and cannot be safely estimated.
Select a city to load local mosque times.
Calculation note
Precise astronomy.
Local religious guidance.
Prayer times are calculated from city-centre coordinates using the selected twilight angles. Asr uses the standard shadow-factor method. Because UK mosques may use different conventions or fixed timetables, always follow your mosque where its published time differs.
Bournemouth observatory
See what the Sun actually does.
Move through the year to see how far the Sun travels below Bournemouth’s horizon. The calculation is astronomical; deciding which twilight marks Fajr or Isha requires recognised Islamic guidance.
One important distinctionCalculated: the Sun physically reaches the selected angle.Estimated: a high-latitude rule supplies a prayer time when that angle is not reached.
Interactive diagram · Bournemouth only
How deep below the horizon?
50.7192° N · 1.8808° W
Horizon 0°Civil 6°Nautical 12°Prayer methods 15°–18°
Sun’s lowest position during each night
Time spent below each line on this night
In 2026, Bournemouth does not reach 18° for part of late spring and summer.
How this site calculates
From the Sun’s position to your clock.
Date and coordinates
We use the selected city’s latitude and longitude. The diagram above is fixed to Bournemouth so its claim stays local and testable.
Sun’s declination
Earth’s tilt and orbit determine how far north or south the Sun appears on that date.
Hour angle
The hour-angle equation finds when the Sun crosses the required altitude: −0.833° for sunrise or sunset, and the selected twilight angle for Fajr and Isha.
UK clock time
Longitude, the equation of time and Europe/London time convert the solar event to GMT or BST automatically.
Core solar equationcos H = (sin h − sin φ sin δ) ÷ (cos φ cos δ)h = chosen Sun altitude · φ = latitude · δ = solar declination
Methods currently selectable
The difference is the twilight angle.
MethodFajrIshaMeaning
MWL18°17°Earlier Fajr and later Isha
ISNA15°15°Both use a shallower twilight
Egyptian19.5°17.5°Deepest Fajr angle of the three
When the Sun does not reach an angle, the site shows “—”. It does not silently invent an astronomical crossing.
Bournemouth proposal · under review
Khalid Shaukat’s seasonal approach
Shaukat argues that visible dawn and evening twilight change with latitude and season. He collected observations, plotted them by location and day of year, and fitted seasonal minute-offset curves. His method gives Bournemouth usable summer times even when 17° or 18° is not reached.
Evidence note: these coefficients are Shaukat’s empirical curve-fit values, not universal astronomical constants. His paper does not publish enough raw data and statistical detail to independently reconstruct every coefficient. The method is therefore shown as research under local scholarly review, not as the site’s settled default.
Precaution used on this site
Small buffers are shown openly.
Sunrise/Fajr cutoff 2 minutes before calculated sunriseDhuhr 5 minutes after calculated solar noonMaghrib 2 minutes after calculated sunset
Sources and limitations
Check the reasoning.
U.S. Naval ObservatoryRise, set and standard horizon definitions ↗NOAA Solar CalculatorSolar equations and accuracy details ↗HM Nautical Almanac OfficeAuthoritative UK astronomical data ↗Khalid Shaukat / Moonsighting.comObservation-guided Fajr and Isha method ↗MWL and ICOPHigh-latitude local relative estimation ↗
Calculated solar position is highly predictable. Visible twilight can still vary with cloud, humidity, aerosols, light pollution, observer height and the local horizon. Islamic dates also require a separate moon-sighting policy.