Dictionary term
Dusk
Direct answer
Dusk is the evening transition from sunset toward darkness as atmospheric scattered sunlight fades.
Dusk is the fading twilight after sunset.
Dusk is the fading twilight after sunset.
A Sun–Earth orientation for seasonal, atmospheric, tidal, and terrestrial terms.Quick reference
- Use when
- Use Dusk as a general term and name civil, nautical, or astronomical dusk in precise almanac output.
- Do not use it for
- Do not assume dusk brightness from time alone; clouds, snow, Moon, and urban lighting can dominate visibility.
- Reference category
- Seasons & Earth Almanac
- Related terms
- Dawn, Civil Dawn, Astronomical Season, Equinox
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The story behind Dusk
Traditional day boundaries often used sunset or visible darkness, while modern tables define repeatable solar angles.
Dusk in spiritual tradition
Spiritually, dusk can support closure and rest without making fading light a prediction.
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.
Dusk in numerology
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 Dusk matters
Different activities use different dusk thresholds, from civil lighting rules to astronomical observing darkness.
Dusk at work: an example
Civil dusk occurs before nautical dusk and astronomical dusk on a normal mid-latitude evening.
Where interpretation stops
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
Select the evening threshold
Dusk in a book is one thing; 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.
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More in Seasons & Earth Almanac
Common questions
What is Dusk?
Dusk is the evening transition from sunset toward darkness as atmospheric scattered sunlight fades.
How is Dusk used in an almanac?
Use Dusk as a general term and name civil, nautical, or astronomical dusk in precise almanac output.
What should I avoid when interpreting Dusk?
Do not assume dusk brightness from time alone; clouds, snow, Moon, and urban lighting can dominate visibility.
