Lahaina Noon in Hawaiʻi: When and Where to see it (2024)

Hawai’i is the only tropical state in the USA. This comes with certain perks such as tropical weather and the two times each year when the sun is directly overhead and you don’t cast any shadow! This phenomenon is called Lahaina Noon.

Good to know: you can find a list with more easily observable astronomy events in our Astronomy calendar for Hawaiʻi.

What exactly is “Lāhainā Noon”?

Lāhainā noon has nothing to do with Lahaina on Maui. It rather is a recent (1990) term that was introduced by the Bishop Museum to give a name to the time of day on which the sun is directly overhead. “Lā haina” means “cruel sun” in the Hawaiian language, and also known as kau ka lā i ka lolo (the sun rests upon the brain).

Lāhainā noon is known on the rest of the planet as being at the “sub-solar point”, i.e. that point where the sun is standing directly above you and thus you don’t cast any shadow. This is explained in the following video by Diana Cowern (Physics Girl, who grew up in Hawaiʻi!):

But don’t worry, the Hawaiian sun isn’t that cruel! Unless you are on the hot lava plains without enough water to drink, that is.

Better yet, lāhainā noon is a very cool photo opportunity and a time to stop and think about how exactly our planet revolves around the sun.

When can you experience Lahaina Noon in Hawaiʻi in 2024

Lahaina Noon on Hawaiʻi takes place twice a year in late May and mid-July before and after the summer solstice – the exact time and date depend on the latitude (north/south position compared to the equator). You can easily look up when lāhainā noon happens for any other place in the tropics by looking up the time and date of solar noon on which the altitude of the sun is exactly 90 degrees (overhead). You can do this for example on the timeanddate website. Alternatively you can go to this website to see the point on out planet where lāhainā moon is happening right now.

On the Hawaiian islands the 2024 lāhainā noon will happen at the following times for these cities:

May 2024

• Honolulu (O‘ahu): 12:28 PM (May 26)
• Kahului (Maui): 12:22 PM (May 23+24)
• Līhuʻe (Kauai): 12:35 PM (May 30)
  
• Hilo (Hawaiʻi island): 12:16 PM (May 17+18)

July 2024

• Honolulu (O‘ahu): 12:37 PM (July 15)
• Kahului (Maui): 12:32 PM (July 17+18)
• Līhuʻe (Kauai): 12:43 (July 11)
  
• Hilo (Hawaiʻi island): 12:26 PM (July 23 + 24)

You can see an example of how strange Lahaina noon makes the world look in the following image of a bicycle statue. Do you notice the shape of the shadow?

The shadow cast by this statue during Lahaina noon is just a vertical line. Image credit: Daniel Ramirez, (source).

A few good places to go to for Lahaina Noon

There are many great places to experience Lahaina Noon in Hawaii, but some locations are particularly popular for their scenic views. One of the most popular places to witness Lahaina Noon is on the beach, where the lack of shadows creates an otherworldly and surreal atmosphere. Another good place to be is somewhere with lots of different-shaped objects so you can see what they look like with (almost) no shadow.

Finally, there is one sculpture in Hawaiʻi that was made specifically with Lahaina noon in mind: the Sky Gate in Honolulu, Oʻahu.

The Sky Gate in Honolulu

If you are on Oʻahu and want to do something special for Lahaina noon you should consider heading over to the Sky Gate sculpture on the lawn next to the Frank F Fasi Municipal Building. (650 S King St, Honolulu, HI 96813). This curvy 24′ (8 meter) high sculpture has a special power that only gets revealed during Lahaina noon: The typically curvy shadows of the sculpture come together to create a perfect circle lining the concrete base that lies beneath it.

The Sky Gate sculpture attracts astronomy enthusiasts especially during Lahaina noon. Image credit: brx0, (source).

Tips for Planning Your Lahaina Noon Experience

To make the most of your Lahaina Noon experience, there are a few things you should keep in mind when planning your trip:

• First, make sure you know the exact date and time of Lahaina Noon, as it only lasts for a few minutes.
• You’ll also want to choose a location that has a clear view of the sky, as clouds can obscure the sun and ruin the experience.
• It’s also important to dress appropriately for the weather, as Lahaina Noon occurs during the hottest time of day. Bring sunscreen and make sure to drink enough fluids.
• Bring a camera! The landscape looks surreal with the lack of shadows (see the picture below), and sometimes looks like a poorly rendered video game.

Fake or real? These traffic poles lose their shadow for a few minutes during Lāhainā noon making them look fake (but they are real!).

Lāhainā Noon date and times for the coming years

We looked up the time and date of solar noon when the sun is exactly 90 degrees overhead for the 4 main islands for the upcoming years and list them below. In some cases solar noon “misses” the window when to sun is directly overhead by a hair in which case we list the days before and after, when the overhead angle of the sun is 89.9 degrees.