when is noon

Noon, also called midday or 12 o'clock, is the time in the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. By convention, noon is indicated as 12 p.m. in the 12-hour clock system. Solar noon, the time when the sun reaches the local meridian and appears highest overhead, varies by location and date but usually corresponds approximately to 12 noon local time. Because of the way time zones and daylight saving time work, solar noon and clock noon are not always exactly the same time. To avoid confusion, it is often best to say "12 noon" rather than 12 p.m. Noon marks the dividing point between the a.m. ("before noon") and p.m. ("after noon") periods of the day.