Same horizon, different direction
Sunrise is the Sun appearing in the morning. Sunset is its disappearance in the evening. The exact direction varies through the year and with latitude.
Why the colors change
The atmosphere scatters sunlight. Particles, clouds, and the length of the light’s path can affect the colors you see. A time calculation cannot predict the quality of a sunset.
Choose your moment
For a practical plan, check the date, the location, and the twilight windows. Allow time to reach your viewing spot before the event.
Where to look: sunrise east, sunset west, roughly
Only around the equinoxes does the Sun rise due east and set due west. In the northern hemisphere summer it rises north of east and sets north of west; in winter it rises south of east and sets south of west. The southern hemisphere mirrors this. The further you are from the equator, the wider the swing along the horizon, which is why a sunset viewpoint that works in June can be wrong in December.
Sunrise vs sunset colors
Both events send sunlight through a long slice of atmosphere, which scatters blue light away and leaves reds and oranges. Sunsets often look richer because the air near the ground has usually warmed and picked up more dust, smoke and moisture during the day, and afternoon clouds can catch the light. Sunrises are often clearer and cooler in tone after a calm night. None of this is guaranteed on a given day: haze, wildfire smoke, volcanic aerosols and cloud cover decide the actual colors.
Dawn and dusk are not sunrise and sunset
Dawn is the twilight before sunrise and dusk the twilight after sunset. Civil twilight, the brightest stage, gives roughly twenty to forty minutes of usable light at mid-latitudes, longer at high latitudes. The twilight page lists the civil, nautical and astronomical boundaries for any date, and the golden hour page shows the low-Sun windows photographers favour.
Timing either one
Use the sunrise and sunset calculator for a single day or the calendar for a whole month. Times are for a flat horizon at sea level; hills, buildings or a high vantage point shift the moment you actually see the Sun, so arrive early and expect the sky to keep changing for half an hour on either side.