Where the sun is during your flight
- 0%Sun on the left
- 0%Sun on the right
- 0%Ahead or behind
- 0%Night
Best seat for views & shade
Pick two airports to see which side gets the sun.
Night & aurora potential
We'll check whether your flight crosses aurora country after dark.
Pick two airports to see where the sun falls
Want to know what's actually worth seeing on this route? We analyze takeoff views, landmarks, and landing approaches.
Get the full seat recommendation →How the Flight Sun Map works
Enter your departure and arrival airports, your travel date, and your departure time. The sun map calculates the sun's position at every point along your great-circle flight path, using your exact date and local time, and shows you a color-coded route on an interactive map.
What the map shows
- Daylight segments
- Sections of your flight where the sun is above the horizon. The map marks whether the sun is on the left or right side of the aircraft, so you know which window seat gets direct sunlight — or shade.
- Sunrise & sunset (twilight)
- When the sun is near the horizon, the map highlights dawn and dusk segments with a gradient. These are the moments you could see a sunrise or sunset from your window seat.
- Night segments
- Portions of your flight in full darkness, shown in dark blue. Night flying over the ocean or remote terrain can still offer views — city lights, moonlit clouds, and stars.
- Northern Lights & Southern Lights
- If your flight path crosses above 58°N or below 58°S during darkness, the map flags those segments as aurora-potential zones. The Northern Lights (aurora borealis) and Southern Lights (aurora australis) are most visible on routes to Scandinavia, Iceland, Alaska, Canada, Patagonia, and New Zealand — the tool tells you which side of the plane faces the pole.
When to use the sun map
- Choosing a window seat — sit on the shady side for comfort, or the sunny side for golden-hour photography
- Planning for sunrise or sunset views — pick a departure time that places dawn or dusk mid-flight
- Northern Lights flights — check whether your route and schedule put you in darkness above 58°N
- Red-eye flights — see how much of your flight is in darkness and when sunrise will arrive
Frequently asked questions
Will my flight be in sunlight or darkness?
It depends on your route, date, and departure time. Enter your airports and schedule into the sun map above to see a color-coded breakdown of daylight, twilight, and night segments along your exact flight path.
Can I see sunrise or sunset from the plane?
Yes. The sun map highlights twilight segments (dawn and dusk) along your route where the sun is near the horizon. These are the portions of your flight where you may see a sunrise or sunset from your window, and the tool tells you which side of the plane it will be on.
Does the sun map show Northern Lights or Southern Lights visibility?
Yes. When your flight path crosses above 58°N latitude (or below 58°S) during darkness, the map flags those segments as having aurora potential, either Northern Lights (aurora borealis) or Southern Lights (aurora australis), and recommends which side of the plane faces the pole for the best view. Reykjavik, northern Scandinavia, and Anchorage routes have the highest chances, usually the left side on polar routes from North America to Asia and the right side on routes from Europe to North America.
Which side of the plane should I sit on for sun or shade?
The sun map calculates the sun's position relative to your heading throughout the flight and tells you whether the sun is on the left or right side. Sit on the opposite side for shade, or the sunny side if you want warm light and sunrise/sunset views.
Which side of the plane gets the most sun?
It depends on the direction you're flying and the time of day. On an eastbound flight in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun hits the right side because south is to your right. On a westbound flight, the sun hits the left side because south is to your left. The sun's position relative to the plane changes throughout the flight as both the plane moves and the sun tracks across the sky. Enter your route above to see the exact breakdown.
How do I avoid the sun on a long flight?
Pick the side of the plane that faces away from the sun for most of the flight. For eastbound daytime flights, south is to your right, so the left side stays shaded. For westbound daytime flights, south is to your left, so the right side is shadier. Use the sun map above to check your specific route and departure time.
Which side of the plane is best for sunrise?
The east-facing side of the cabin. On a northbound flight, that's the right side. On a southbound flight, that's the left side. On an eastbound flight, sunrise appears ahead of the plane and fills both sides fairly evenly, though the exact angle depends on your heading and latitude.
Which side of the plane is best for sunset?
The west-facing side. On a northbound flight, that's the left side. On a southbound flight, it's the right side. Westbound flights fly toward the sunset, which stretches the golden hour because you're chasing the sun across time zones. A late-afternoon westbound flight from the US East Coast can keep the sunset going for well over an hour.