Time of Prayer
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Question
When do the first 4 hours end?
Answer
Hello Rabbi
The poskim (Jewish legal decisors) are divided on how to calculate the hours of the day concerning the time for the recitation of the Shema, which is three hours, and the time for prayer, which is four hours. The opinion of the Magen Avraham is that the hours are divided from dawn until the appearance of the stars into 12, and each such part is called an 'hour'.
The opinion of the Gaon of Vilna is that the hours are calculated from sunrise to sunset, and this time is divided into 12, and each part is called an hour. This is also the opinion of the Gaon Rav Zalman.
As can be understood, the length of the halachic 'hour' changes significantly according to the length of the day, and each hour is significantly longer in the summer and shorter in the winter.
The end time for prayer is at the end of 4 'hours' of these hours.
Source
Mishnah Berurah, Siman 58, Subsection 4
And these three hours are counted from the time of dawn, as written by the Magen Avraham, and the opinion of the Gaon of Vilna is from the time of sunrise