Dictionary term
Civil Dusk
Direct answer
Civil Dusk is the evening instant when the Sun center descends to 6 degrees below the horizon.
Civil Dusk ends evening civil twilight at a -6-degree solar altitude.
Civil Dusk ends evening 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 Dusk when an operation defines darkness from the end of civil twilight.
- Do not use it for
- Check the governing local definition; regulations may use fixed clock rules or a different twilight standard.
- Reference category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Related terms
- Civil Dawn, Nautical Dawn, Astronomical Season, Equinox
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The story behind Civil Dusk
Legal and navigation practices adopted standardized twilight angles as precise almanac prediction became routine.
Civil Dusk in spiritual tradition
Spiritually, Civil Dusk can invite an orderly transition from activity to rest.
Civil Dusk: 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 Dusk in numerology
Civil Dusk 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 Dusk matters
It supplies a consistent post-sunset reference for lighting, work, and public schedules.
Civil Dusk at work: an example
Street-light or park schedules may reference Civil Dusk rather than sunset itself.
Where interpretation stops
Civil Dusk 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
Find the practical-light endpoint
Civil Dusk in a book is one thing; Civil Dusk 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.
Speak with the OracleRelated terms
More in Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Diurnal Tide
- Glory
- March Equinox
- Nautical Twilight
- Season Length Asymmetry
- Tidal Datum
- Astronomical Dusk
Common questions
What is Civil Dusk?
Civil Dusk is the evening instant when the Sun center descends to 6 degrees below the horizon.
How is Civil Dusk used in an almanac?
Use Civil Dusk when an operation defines darkness from the end of civil twilight.
What should I avoid when interpreting Civil Dusk?
Check the governing local definition; regulations may use fixed clock rules or a different twilight standard.
