AR sun tracking
What is an AR sun tracker?
An AR sun tracker draws the sun’s path over the real scene around you. You point your phone and see where the sun will pass, instead of reading a table and picturing the sky.
By SunCast team Last updated: October 14, 2026
Short answer
An AR sun tracker is an app that overlays the sun path, sun position, sunrise direction and sunset direction on a live camera view. It combines location, date, time, device orientation and solar position calculations to show where sunlight will come from in the real world.
AR sun tracker basics
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AR | Augmented reality overlay on the live camera view. |
| Location | Latitude and longitude set the local sun path. |
| Date and time | The sun path changes by season and time of day. |
| Device sensors | Compass and motion sensors align the overlay with the scene. |
| Solar calculation | The app calculates sun azimuth and elevation for the selected moment. |
How an AR sun tracker works
The app needs a place, a date and a time. From those it calculates where the sun is in the sky, as an azimuth (compass direction) and an elevation (height above the horizon). The phone’s compass and motion sensors then work out which part of the sky the camera is pointing at, so the calculated path can be drawn in the right place over the live view.
The calculation and the alignment are separate steps. If the overlay looks shifted, the sun’s position is usually still right and the phone’s orientation is off.
What it is useful for
AR helps when the answer depends on the real scene: will the sun hit this window, pass behind that tree, light this wall or backlight this subject?
It also catches things that are easy to miss from numbers alone. In Madrid on 21 June the sun rises at 06:45 CEST at an azimuth of 58°, north of east, and stays north of due east until about 10:20. In the evening it is north of due west from about 18:15 until it sets at 21:49 at 302° (calculated with SunCast’s sun calculator). A north-facing balcony there gets direct sun at both ends of a summer day. A compass bearing for the balcony does not show that; the path drawn over the view does.
Common uses
Photography
Preview whether the sun will front-light, side-light or backlight a subject before the shoot begins.
Home sunlight
Stand near a window or balcony and check where the sun will travel across the room or view.
Gardening
Check whether a bed, patio or container area gets direct sun at the hours plants need it.
Limits
The overlay is only as well aligned as the phone’s compass. Calibrate it, and step away from cars, railings and other metal before trusting a reading near the horizon. Indoors, compass interference is more likely.
Check it in SunCast
Want to see the sun path in the real scene around you? SunCast’s AR Sun Tracker draws it over the camera view on iPhone and iPad for any date and time.
Frequently asked questions
Does an AR sun tracker work indoors?
Yes, but the compass is more easily disturbed indoors and walls block much of the sky. It works best from the window or doorway where the light enters.
Why can the AR sun path look offset?
Usually because of device orientation. Magnetic interference, sensor drift or poor calibration can shift the overlay even when the calculated sun position is correct.
Can an AR sun tracker show future dates?
Yes, if the app supports it. SunCast’s AR Sun Tracker shows the sun path for any date and time you select.
