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Twilight. The word evokes gorgeous colors. But what exactly is twilight? We’ll explain the three stages of twilight, plus you can check your own twilight times with the Almanac’s calculator. Get ready for adventures in the TwilightZone.
That famous TV show would not have been a hit on Pluto. In fact, creatures on any known planet would be amazed by the unique twilight we Earthlings take for granted. Our world alone experiences the luxuriant palette of colors which mark day’s transition to darkness. So, what is exactly is twilight?
Throughout most of the universe, the Sun sets and wham, it’s like a power failure: instant blackness.
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Image: Earth at twilight.Blue sunlight fades into darkness. NASA International SpaceStation.
What isTwilight?
What is the correct definition of twilight? The concept suggest vagueness. But in actuality, it’s a very specific event. And there’s really not one twilight but three! And they’re each so distinct, they have their own names. Below describe the stages of twilight as they occur in the evening. These stages also occur before sunrise, in the reverseorder.
- Civil twilight starts at sunset and ends roughly 45 minutes later, when the sun’s center has plunged six degrees below the horizon—equal to 12 times its own width. That’s when streetlights must be on, according to most municipalordinances.
- Nautical twilight occurs when the sun’s center is between 6 and 12 degrees below the horizon. After this, the horizon vanishes, when a mariner cannot distinguish between sea and sky.
- Astronomical twilight occurs when the sun’s center is between 12 and 18 degrees below the horizon. After this point, the faintest stars emerge. The conclusion of this stage of twilight heralds the arrival of fulldarkness.
See the Almanac’s sunrise/set calculator to get all three twilight times!
By the way, twilight is different thandusk, which occurs after sunset. (Sunset can be defined as the moment when the top of the sun’s disk has passed the horizon.) As with twilight, there is civil dusk, nautical dusk, and astronomical dusk, occurringat the exact moment when the center of the sun’s disk is at 6°, 12°, and 18° below the horizon, respectively. Stages of dawn occur before sunrise, in the reverse order as described fordusk.
Twilight’s duration is not usually expressed in units of time, but rather degrees, and for good reason: its length varies. Depending on the time of year and the latitude of the observer, twilight can expire in less than an hour or linger throughout the night! Twilight is always shortest in the tropics, where less than one hour is the most you ever get. From the latitude of New York, 1 1/2 hours is about average, while from Alaska there simply is no night at all between May and August. There, the choice is either daytime ortwilight.
What We See DuringTwilight
Only Earth has twilight. You could argue that our neighbor Mars has something of a twilight. But it’s lethally thin air is incapable of producing anything that resembles our own planet’s rich hues. That leaves Earth alone to ponder thephenomenon!
And there’s much more to twilight than pretty colors. Twilight plays host to phenomena not seen at any other time, such as “crepuscular rays.” Crepuscular? A great word that means “pertaining to twilight” and which can describe those fantasyland rays that often stream up from the setting sun, indeed called crepuscular rays. It has such a great sound, I try to use that word as often as possible, even when it’s notappropriate.
During twilight, we also see bats and those crepuscular characters who cleverly avoid both day and nightpredators.
Also during twilight, we’ll more often enjoy the appearance of Mercury or Venus, or the sudden profusion of Earth satellites, which are most numerous during the first 90 minutes after nautical twilight ends. Or, we’ll even see the Earth’s shadow, looking like a blue-gray band low in the east during twilight’s first 15minutes.
Yes, currently lots of action in twilight. And the price isright.
FAQs
There are three established and widely accepted subcategories of twilight: civil twilight (nearest the horizon), nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight (farthest from the horizon).
What are the different kinds of twilight we experience each day? ›
It occurs both after the Sun sets and before it rises. In fact, astronomers recognize three different types of twilight: civil, nautical, and astronomical. Civil dusk, or evening civil twilight, begins when the Sun disappears below the western horizon and ends when the Sun's center is exactly 6° below the horizon.
What is twilight answer? ›
twilight. noun. twi·light ˈtwī-ˌlīt. : the period or the light from the sky between full night and sunrise or between sunset and full night.
What is the concept of twilight? ›
In its most general sense, twilight is the period of time before sunrise and after sunset, in which the atmosphere is partially illuminated by the sun, being neither totally dark or completely lit. However there are three categories of twilight that are defined by how far the sun is below the horizon.
What is the name of the 3 twilight? ›
The first installment, Twilight, was released on November 21, 2008. The second installment, New Moon, followed on November 20, 2009. The third installment, Eclipse, was released on June 30, 2010.
Which twilight is 3? ›
Stage 3: Astronomical twilight
The darkest twilight stage is astronomical twilight. The definition of astronomical twilight is the period of time when the center of the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon to 18 degrees below the horizon. You probably don't even notice any illumination left in the sky at this time.
What is an example of a twilight? ›
In his twilight years, he must have thought that this was the best thing that had ever happened to him. Clearly, his twilight hour is not the other side of 6 o'clock. We ought to apply a little twilight sleep to it. They had nowhere else to go but to the twilight areas.
Why is it called twilight? ›
Twilight is the period when day transitions into night or the point where light and darkness come together. In symbolic terms, Bella could be considered the light of day, while Edward could be considered the darkness of night. They meet each other in this book, hence the name “Twilight“.
What are all of the twilights? ›
Experience the entire TWILIGHT saga with this thrilling 5-film collection. This bundle includes the following movies: Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2.
What happens in twilight 3? ›
Bella and Edward have been reunited, but their forbidden relationship is threatened to be torn apart again with an evil vampire still seeking her revenge. And Bella is forced to choose between her true love for Edward or her friendship with Jacob Black as the struggles between vampires and werewolves continues.
After Bella is changed into a vampire by Edward, she becomes extremely beautiful with even paler skin, straight waist-length hair, and crimson red eyes that eventually turn gold after months of drinking animal blood. Her features are also heightened and perfected by the transformation.
What are the different types of dusk? ›
As with twilight, there is civil dusk, nautical dusk, and astronomical dusk, occurring at the exact moment when the center of the sun's disk is at 6°, 12°, and 18° below the horizon, respectively. Stages of dawn occur before sunrise, in the reverse order as described for dusk.
Why are there 3 types of twilight? ›
Most of us think of twilight as a single period of transition from bright day to deep night, but there are actually three twilights: civil, nautical, and astronomical. Each is defined by how far below the horizon the sun is, and hint at our lives before artificial light and GPS.
What does twilight mean in life? ›
the last years of someone's life: Old people often rely on pets for comfort and companionship in their twilight years. The elderly.
What is the big idea of twilight? ›
Set in the small town of Forks, Washington, the book explores themes of love, friendship, and the supernatural as Bella and Edward navigate the challenges of their forbidden romance. With its blend of romance, fantasy, and suspense, Twilight has become a beloved classic in young adult literature.
Twilight - New World EncyclopediaNew World Encyclopediahttps://www.newworldencyclopedia.org ›
Contents · 1 Definitions. 1.1 Civil twilight; 1.2 Nautical twilight; 1.3 Astronomical twilight · 2 Length · 3 On other planets · 4 N...
After the recent hour change ready for summer time I was lamenting having to wake up in the dark once again; it felt like I had been dragged back to winter. I d...
The first is Civil Twilight. It occurs just before sunrise and just after sunset, when the geometric center of the sun is six degrees below the horizon. During ...
The darkest of the twilights is astronomical; to an astronomer, it's not the same as night, but to the layperson it's close enough. Nautical twilight is a deep dusk — dim bluish sky, bright planets visible. In civil twilight, the sky is light all over though the sun is not visible.
Is there different versions of twilight? ›
One is the original Theatrical Cut (TC), and the other is an Extended Cut (EC). As noted in the IMDB "Technical Specifications" section, the EC runs about 7 minutes longer. It consists of additional footage incorporated into the film, instead of separated as a Deleted Scenes feature.
How many of twilight are there? ›
Twilight (novel series)
| The six covers for the Twilight novel series. |
|---|
| Twilight (2005) New Moon (2006) Eclipse (2007) Breaking Dawn (2008) Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (2015) Midnight Sun (2020) |
|---|
| Published | 2005–2020 |
| Media type | Print |
| No. of books | 5 (with 3 companions) |
5 more rowsWhat are the 'Twilight' movies in order?
- "Twilight" (Nov. 21, 2008)
- "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (Nov. 20, 2009)
- "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (June 30, 2010)
- "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" (Nov. 18, 2011)
- "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" (Nov. 16, 2012)
