DAYLIGHT DETECTOR
Outputs a redstone signal proportional to the current sunlight level. Can be inverted (right-click) to output based on darkness. Signal ranges from 0 to 15 depending on time of day.
Crafting Recipe
3 Glass + 3 Nether Quartz + 3 Wooden Slabs → 1 Daylight Detector
Signal Behavior
Input
InputSunlight level (sky light - block obstructions)
Output
Output0-15 based on sun position (inverted: moon position)
Max Signal Strength
Max Signal Strength15
Delay
DelayReal-time (updates with sun position)
Modes
- Daylight mode
- Inverted (nighttime) mode
Overview: what the Daylight Detector is and does
Outputs a redstone signal proportional to the current sunlight level. Can be inverted (right-click) to output based on darkness. Signal ranges from 0 to 15 depending on time of day.
As a power source it sits at the start of a circuit, generating the signal that everything downstream reacts to. It is the only block that reads the sky directly, making it the backbone of automatic lighting and solar day/night clocks.
The Daylight Detector was added to Minecraft in 1.5 and everything described here reflects its behaviour in Java Edition 1.21.
How it works: the redstone mechanics
On the input side, sunlight level (sky light - block obstructions). On the output side, 0-15 based on sun position (inverted: moon position).
In daylight mode its signal tracks the sun's height from 0 at night up to 15 near noon. Right-clicking flips it to inverted mode, where it instead reads the moon and outputs strongest at midnight. Rain and any block placed above it cut the reading.
It can output a maximum signal strength of 15, which travels 15 blocks through bare redstone dust before fading to nothing.
It operates in the following modes: daylight mode and inverted (nighttime) mode.
How to set it up
- 1Craft the Daylight Detector: 3 Glass + 3 Nether Quartz + 3 Wooden Slabs → 1 Daylight Detector.
- 2Decide where the signal needs to start or land, then place the Daylight Detector against a solid surface so it can feed the rest of your circuit.
- 3Run redstone dust away from it toward the component you want to control, remembering the signal will fall by 1 per block.
- 4Test in a creative-mode plot first: trigger the input and confirm the Daylight Detector behaves exactly as the timing above predicts before committing it to a survival build.
Uses & applications
- ▸Automatic street lights
- ▸Day/night cycle detection
- ▸Solar clocks
- ▸Automated farm lighting
Tips & common mistakes
- !Does not work underground or under opaque blocks
- !Rainy weather reduces output
- !Right-click inverts mode accidentally
- !It reads sky light, so a single solid block or even glass-free shade above it will gut the signal — keep the column above it clear.
Daylight Detector FAQ
What is the Daylight Detector used for in Minecraft redstone?
The Daylight Detector is most often used for automatic street lights, day/night cycle detection, solar clocks, and automated farm lighting. As a power source it sits at the start of a circuit, generating the signal that everything downstream reacts to.
What signal strength does the Daylight Detector output?
0-15 based on sun position (inverted: moon position). Its maximum signal strength is 15.
How do you craft the Daylight Detector?
3 Glass + 3 Nether Quartz + 3 Wooden Slabs → 1 Daylight Detector. It was introduced in 1.5.
What is the most common mistake with the Daylight Detector?
Does not work underground or under opaque blocks. Rainy weather reduces output.
How do I make a daylight detector turn lights on at night?
Right-click the daylight detector to switch it into inverted (nighttime) mode. In that mode it outputs a strong signal in darkness and a weak one in daylight, so wiring it to redstone lamps makes them switch on automatically at dusk.