Australia has the best spots to watch the sunrise and sunset - science says so

A UK brand called MattressOnline has analysed air quality, sunshine hours and social media engagements to determine the best places in the world to wake up, and Australia takes the lead.

Our two eastern super cities Sydney and Melbourne have ranked first and second, proving that our country offers some of the most breathtaking mornings on the planet.

Among the findings, both cities have the cleanest air in the world, boasting the lowest air quality index ratings.

Sydney topped Instagram for sunrise posts with 123,306, over three times more than the second place recipient, Miami (37,925).

The top-10 places to watch the sunrise are:

The research found Sydney was truly the best place to wake up in. The scenic sunrise score was high at 9.4 out of 10, and the air quality was an impressive 14, making it the second cleanest in the ranking behind only Melbourne.

The number of daylight hours counted, too, with Sydneysiders enjoying 2,468 average sunshine hours per year, significantly more than Taipei's 1,374 hours.

MattressOnline said Sydney shined in social media presence, with the most Instagram posts dedicated to its spectacular sunrise. It also surpassed Dubai in Google searches related to sunrises, with keen researchers searching phrases like "Sydney sunrise spots" and "sunrise in Sydney".

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Top sunrise spots are obvious - all Sydney's beaches and coastal areas. Residents are truly spoilt for choice.

Melbourne took the crown as the second-best place in the world to wake up, with a scenic sunrise score of 9.17 out of 10. Its air quality was the best in the ranking, at only 9, beating Sydney. While it has slightly fewer sunshine hours than Sydney at 2363 on average, it is also quite high compared to the third-placed Miami which gets 3154.

Top places to watch the sunrise are St Kilda Beach and the Twelve Apostles.

More research, this time from travel insurance company AllClear, has analysed a separate set of data to find the best sunsets in the world, and Australia has excelled here, too.

Though it might not be where you think.

It wasn't the sun setting over Perth that earned a ranking, but the iconic landmark Uluru, its sunset taking the crown as the fourth most vivid in the world.

The study analysed factors is says influence sunset quality, including encompassing cloud cover, wind, humidity and rainfall, to determine the list. It also considered the number of times each location's sunsets have been shared on Instagram.

The top 10 best sunsets are:

AllClear said of Uluru: "500 million years old and full of iron minerals, the monolithic sandstone formation that is deeply loved by many actually looks like it changes colour at sunset."

Parks Australia provides a dedicated spot called the Uluru car sunset viewing area where you can take "the quintessential Uluru photo" at either sunrise or sunset.

"As the sun sinks behind you, the rock transforms from pinkish hues to a fluorescent orange and deep shades of red," the website says.

"The sky also displays a varied palette of colours, with the rock surrounded by delicate baby blues and bright pinks. If you visit during the full moon, you are likely to see the moon rising next to Uluru around sunset.

"Alternatively, you can visit this area at dawn to capture the rock silhouetted against the rising sun."