Sunrise & Sunset in Google Sheets
Formula
Get solar times by the row. =VERVE("sunrisesunset", A2, B2) returns sunrise and sunset for a lat/lon — Google Sheets or Excel.
=VERVE("sunrisesunset", A2, B2)=VERVE.CALL("sunrisesunset", A2, B2)A2 holds lat, B2 holds lon. Arguments go in that order — the same order as the table below.
With literal values
Nothing has to come from a cell — typed values work the same way.
=VERVE("sunrisesunset", 36.72016, -4.42034)Inputs
Required inputs are positional, in the order below. Everything else is passed as a "name", value pair after them — the same shape as SUMIFS.
| Input | Type | Where it goes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
latRequired | number | argument 2 | The latitude of the location (e.g. 36.72016) |
lonRequired | number | argument 3 | The longitude of the location (e.g. -4.42034) |
datePremium | string | "date", value | The date for which you want to get the sunrise and sunset times (e.g., MM-DD-YYYY : 01-01-2022) (e.g. 01-16-2026) |
Passing an option
=VERVE("sunrisesunset", A2, B2, "date", "01-16-2026")What lands in your sheet
With no "field" pair the formula spills the whole response as two columns — field name on the left, value on the right — starting at the cell you typed in. Make sure the cells below and to the right are empty.
Pulling one value
Add a "field" pair to get a single cell back instead of a table. The field name is the dot-path from the table below.
=VERVE("sunrisesunset", A2, B2, "field", "sunrise")=VERVE.CALL("sunrisesunset", A2, B2, "field", "sunrise")Available fields
#PREMIUM(field) rather than a value, so a locked field never looks like a real answer.| Use as "field" | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
solarNoonPremium | string | 2025-12-16T12:14:40.51Z | Solar noon time |
sunrise | string | 2025-12-16T07:24:56.165Z | Sunrise time in ISO 8601 format |
sunset | string | 2025-12-16T17:04:24.854Z | Sunset time in ISO 8601 format |
sunriseEnd | string | 2025-12-16T07:27:58.828Z | Moment the sun's disc has fully cleared the horizon, in UTC |
sunsetStart | string | 2025-12-16T17:01:22.192Z | Moment the sun's disc first touches the horizon at sunset, in UTC |
dawn | string | 2025-12-16T06:56:02.774Z | Start of civil twilight, when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon |
dusk | string | 2025-12-16T17:33:18.245Z | End of civil twilight, when the sun drops 6 degrees below the horizon |
nauticalDawn | string | 2025-12-16T06:23:38.134Z | Start of nautical twilight, when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon |
nauticalDusk | string | 2025-12-16T18:05:42.886Z | End of nautical twilight, when the sun drops 12 degrees below the horizon |
nightEnd | string | 2025-12-16T05:52:07.048Z | End of astronomical night, when the sun rises above 18 degrees below the horizon |
night | string | 2025-12-16T18:37:13.971Z | Start of astronomical night, when the sun drops 18 degrees below the horizon |
goldenHourEnd | string | 2025-12-16T08:05:08.406Z | End of the morning golden hour, when soft low-angle light gives way to daylight |
goldenHour | string | 2025-12-16T16:24:12.613Z | Start of the evening golden hour, when the light turns soft and low-angle |
Filling a whole column
Hand the first argument a range instead of a cell and the add-in makes one batched call for the lot, then spills the answers down. That is faster than dragging the formula and costs the same credits — one per row looked up.
=VERVE("sunrisesunset", A2:A100, B2, "field", "sunrise")=VERVE.CALL("sunrisesunset", A2:A100, B2, "field", "sunrise")A2:A100 is the column of lat values. The result spills down alongside it, one row per input, blanks skipped.
When a cell doesn't fill
A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() won't catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead.
| Cell reads | What happened |
|---|---|
#ERR Not connected | No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account. |
#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value | The preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in sunrisesunset | An option name that this source doesn't take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The "field" path isn't in the response. Check the dot-path against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan doesn't include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The month's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date. |
Before the formula works
The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet doesn't leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.
- Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
- Type the formula above into any cell.
Other ways to use Sunrise & Sunset in Google Sheets
Set up Sunrise & Sunset in Google Sheets on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sunrise & Sunset in Google Sheets work in both Google Sheets and Excel?
Yes — the same source, the same arguments. Sheets calls it =VERVE("sunrisesunset", …) and Excel calls it =VERVE.CALL("sunrisesunset", …); that function name is the only difference.
Do the cells recalculate on their own?
They recalculate when the sheet does — on edit, on open, or on a manual recalc. Each recalculation is a fresh call and spends credits, so for a large static column it's worth copying the results and pasting them as values.
How many credits does a filled column cost?
1 credit per row looked up, whether you drag the formula or pass a range. The range form is one HTTP call instead of many, but the credit count is the same.
Can I share the sheet without sharing my key?
Yes. The key is stored against your account, not in the file. Collaborators see the values already in the cells; formulas only recalculate for someone who has connected their own account.
Why is a cell showing #ERR instead of an error?
So you can read the reason. Excel can't display a custom message on a real spreadsheet error, so the add-in returns the explanation as text on both platforms instead.