Twilight facts for kids

Twilight is that special time of day when the sun is below the horizon, but its light still brightens the sky. It happens twice every day: once in the morning before the sun comes up, and again in the evening after the sun has gone down. It's not completely dark, and it's not full daylight either. This makes twilight a beautiful and unique part of our day.

Twilight view in Lapland.

Sunrise on Placida Harbour, Florida.

What is Dawn and Dusk?

Twilight has two main parts:

• Dawn is the morning twilight. It's when the sky starts to get lighter, and the sun's light slowly begins to appear before sunrise.
• Dusk is the evening twilight. It's the opposite of dawn. After the sun sets, the light in the sky slowly fades away, and darkness begins to set in.

Different Kinds of Twilight

Scientists and sailors use different names for the stages of twilight, depending on how far the sun is below the horizon. The horizon is the line where the sky seems to meet the Earth.

Civil Twilight: The Brightest Stage

This is the brightest part of twilight. It happens when the sun is less than 6 degrees below the horizon. During civil twilight, there's usually enough light to see clearly outside without needing artificial lights. You can still see the brightest stars and planets. This stage ends at sunrise in the morning or follows sunset in the evening.

Nautical Twilight: Seeing the Horizon

Nautical twilight happens when the sun is between 6 and 12 degrees below the horizon. During this time, the horizon can still be seen clearly, which was important for sailors using stars to navigate. Most stars become visible, but it's still not completely dark.

Astronomical Twilight: Almost Dark

This is the darkest stage of twilight. It occurs when the sun is between 12 and 18 degrees below the horizon. During astronomical twilight, the sky is almost completely dark, and most stars and faint objects like galaxies can be seen. Once the sun goes more than 18 degrees below the horizon, it's considered full night.

Images for kids

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  Midtown Manhattan during civil twilight, showing the blue hour.

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  Civil twilight in a small town in the Mojave Desert.

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  Long exposure of astronomical twilight (dusk) in a small town in the Mojave Desert.

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  At the beginning of nautical twilight, artificial lighting is needed to see things clearly.

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  Evening astronomical twilight (dusk).

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  A chart showing sunshine at latitude 50 North.

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  Twilight at Paranal Observatory in Chile.

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  American Benedictine monks around an Easter fire preparing for an Easter Vigil mass.

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  View from the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, at evening civil twilight, Taipei, Taiwan.

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  Morning twilight mountain moonset.

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  Midsummer twilight over Rainbow Ridge, Landers, California.

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  Clouds begin to glow with colors at nautical dawn, when the Sun is 12 degrees below the horizon.

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  Characteristic polar night blue twilight, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, located at 78° north.

See also

In Spanish: Crepúsculo para niños