Dictionary term
Civil Twilight
Direct answer
Civil Twilight is the period when the Sun center is between the horizon and 6 degrees below it before sunrise or after sunset.
Civil Twilight spans Sun altitudes from 0 to -6 degrees.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Also appears in
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-16
Quick reference
- Use when
- Use Civil Twilight for daily almanacs, photography, aviation, lighting, and public-event planning.
- Do not use it for
- Actual visibility depends on clouds, terrain, haze, Moon, and artificial light, so the angle is not a safety guarantee.
- Reference category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Related terms
- Solar Terminator, Nautical Twilight, Astronomical Season, Equinox
The story behind Civil Twilight
Standard twilight depression angles gave navigators and almanac makers repeatable definitions beyond subjective brightness.
Civil Twilight in spiritual tradition
Spiritually, Civil Twilight can mark a gentle threshold while remaining a defined solar angle.
The Great Almanac frames Civil Twilight with educational restraint. Mystical or symbolic language may be meaningful, but it should not be exaggerated into certainty, panic, or permission to ignore ordinary responsibility.
Civil Twilight in the Bible
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 Twilight in numerology
Civil Twilight 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 Twilight matters
It often provides enough natural light for many outdoor activities and defines several legal or operational lighting thresholds.
Example in a reading: Evening Civil Twilight ends when the Sun center reaches 6 degrees below the horizon.
Interpretive caution: Actual visibility depends on clouds, terrain, haze, Moon, and artificial light, so the angle is not a safety guarantee.
How Civil Twilight is used in a reading
Use Civil Twilight for daily almanacs, photography, aviation, lighting, and public-event planning.
Where interpretation stops
Civil Twilight 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.
The page starts with a direct definition, then separates use, example, caution, spiritual meaning, and historical context. For astrology, occult, demonology, curse, and spiritual warfare terms, the editorial rule is to explain the term without making fear-based, fatalistic, medical, legal, financial, or ritual-instruction claims.
Continue learning
Continue into the live sky, space weather, universal timing, and the wider field surrounding the current season.
Open Worldwide WatchRelated terms
These related entries help place Civil Twilight inside a wider reference cluster instead of leaving it as a standalone keyword.
