Qibla direction in Ann Arbor
51.52° from true north · north-east · 10,871 km to the Kaaba
Qibla direction in Ann Arbor
The qibla from Ann Arbor is 51.52° from true north, towards the north-east. Simply face east and turn 38° to the left. Ann Arbor is about 10,871 km from the Kaaba. Without a compass, use the sun: on May 28, 2027 at 5:18 AM EDT it stands directly above the Kaaba, so facing the sun means facing the qibla.
51.52°
Gold arc = 38° from east to the qibla
Three ways to face the qibla from Ann Arbor
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1. Phone compass
Open a compass app, move the phone in a figure of 8 to calibrate, keep it away from metal, then turn until the compass reads 52°.
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2. Start from east
Face east, then turn 38° to the left. A right angle is 90°, so 38° is about half of a right angle.
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3. The sun's shadow
Twice a year the sun is directly above the Kaaba. At that moment the shadow of any upright object points directly away from the qibla.
Sun over the Kaaba, 2027
- · 5:18 AM EDT (the sun is below the horizon in this city)
- · 5:27 AM EDT (the sun is below the horizon in this city)
Keeping the compass accurate
- Remove magnetic cases and keep the phone away from laptops, speakers and steel frames.
- Hold the phone flat. A compass points to magnetic north, while the degrees on this page are measured from true north, so the reading can differ slightly.
- Compare with the direction of the rows in a nearby mosque.
Qibla direction in nearby cities
Frequently asked questions
What is the qibla direction from Ann Arbor in degrees?
51.52° from true north, measured clockwise — towards the north-east.
How can I find the qibla without a compass?
Face east and turn 38° to the left. More precisely, when the sun is directly above the Kaaba the qibla is the direction towards the sun.
When is the sun over the Kaaba in 2027, in Ann Arbor time?
May 28, 2027 at 5:18 AM EDT and July 16, 2027 at 5:27 AM EDT.
What is the difference between true north and compass north?
True north points to the geographic North Pole. A compass needle points to the magnetic pole, which is in a slightly different place, so a compass reading can differ from the degrees on this page.
Do I need to share my location to see the qibla?
No. The qibla on this page is calculated from the coordinates of the center of Ann Arbor, so you only need to pick a city.
Sources & method
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Kaaba coordinates · 21.4225° N, 39.8262° E
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Ann Arbor coordinates · 42.2776; -83.7409 (city center) · GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0
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Formula · Great-circle azimuth from true north