Dictionary term
Civil Dawn
Direct answer
Civil Dawn is the morning instant when the Sun center reaches 6 degrees below the horizon.
Civil Dawn begins morning civil twilight at a -6-degree solar altitude.
Civil Dawn begins morning civil twilight at a -6-degree solar altitude.
A Sun–Earth orientation for seasonal, atmospheric, tidal, and terrestrial terms.Quick reference
- Use when
- Use Civil Dawn for lighting, outdoor operations, transport, and almanac tables when the -6-degree definition is intended.
- Do not use it for
- Do not guarantee usable light at Civil Dawn in severe weather, deep valleys, or dense canopy.
- Reference category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Related terms
- Dusk, Civil Dusk, Astronomical Season, Equinox
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The story behind Civil Dawn
Published rise-set tables standardized civil dawn so users did not have to rely on subjective reports of first light.
Civil Dawn in spiritual tradition
Spiritually, Civil Dawn can mark preparation before sunrise while remaining a practical angular standard.
Civil Dawn: fact and faith, kept distinct
This is a factual calendar, astronomy, Earth-science, cultural-history, or observational reference. It can support wonder and practical planning without becoming a claim of fate, spiritual causation, or private revelation.
Civil Dawn in numerology
Civil Dawn is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Civil Dawn matters
It gives daily schedules a reproducible first-light threshold that is distinct from sunrise.
Civil Dawn at work: an example
Civil Dawn occurs after nautical dawn and before the upper limb of the Sun appears at sunrise.
Where interpretation stops
Civil Dawn is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- U.S. Naval Observatory: Rise, Set, and Twilight Definitions - Official definitions used for sunrise, sunset, refraction, and twilight calculations.
- NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory: Solar Calculator Glossary - NOAA definitions for solar geometry, atmospheric refraction, and civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Also appears in
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-16
Set the first-light marker
Civil Dawn in a book is one thing; Civil Dawn in your own birth chart is your life. The Oracle casts your real chart and tells you what it means for your love, your work, and your year ahead, in conversation, free.
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More in Seasons & Earth Almanac
- December Solstice
- Frost Date
- June Solstice
- Nautical Dusk
- Polar Night
- Solar Terminator
- Tidal Bore
- Astronomical Dawn
Common questions
What is Civil Dawn?
Civil Dawn is the morning instant when the Sun center reaches 6 degrees below the horizon.
How is Civil Dawn used in an almanac?
Use Civil Dawn for lighting, outdoor operations, transport, and almanac tables when the -6-degree definition is intended.
What should I avoid when interpreting Civil Dawn?
Do not guarantee usable light at Civil Dawn in severe weather, deep valleys, or dense canopy.
