Twilight Calculator: 3-Stage Dawn & Dusk Timeline

Clock times and durations for civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight — the solar-angle stages used by meteorologists, sailors, and astronomers.

Live Stage Timeline · New York

Today’s Full Twilight Ladder

  1. Astronomical Dawn 04:10 AM Sun −18°
  2. Nautical Dawn 04:51 AM Sun −12°
  3. Civil Dawn 05:28 AM Sun −6°
  4. Sunrise 05:58 AM Horizon
  5. Sunset 08:05 PM Horizon
  6. Civil Dusk 08:35 PM Sun −6°
  7. Nautical Dusk 09:12 PM Sun −12°
  8. Astronomical Dusk 09:53 PM Sun −18°
Unique to this tool

How Long Each Stage Lasts Today

StageSolar bandMorning lengthEvening lengthBest for
Civil0° to −6°30m30mOutdoor tasks, headlights / legal dusk
Nautical−6° to −12°37m37mSea horizon + bright stars
Astronomical−12° to −18°41m41mDeep-sky threshold

Durations are computed for the New York reference; detect your location or open a city page for local values.

Civil · outdoor usable light

Bright enough for most outdoor activity. Brightest planets may appear. Many lighting laws use civil dusk, not sunset.

Nautical · navigation window

Sea horizon can still be sensed while major stars shine — the historic window for celestial navigation at sea.

Astronomical · true-night edge

Sky glow fades toward night. Faint Milky Way structure usually needs this stage to finish.

Who Should Use This Calculator

  • Hikers & event planners: civil dusk for trail exits and lighting rules.
  • Sailors / aviation learners: nautical boundaries for traditional horizon sightings.
  • Astronomers: astronomical dusk as the gate to deep-sky time.
  • Photographers: pair with Blue Hour (creative window inside/near civil twilight), not as a synonym for it.

Word confusion (“dawn” vs “sunrise”)? That is covered on Dawn & Dusk. Long-form science: Civil, Nautical & Astronomical Twilight.

Twilight Frequently Asked Questions

Twilight is a live calculator for the three scientific stages (−6°, −12°, −18°) with clock times and durations. Dawn & Dusk is a glossary that explains everyday words like dawn vs sunrise so you pick the right label.
Civil (0° to −6°), nautical (−6° to −12°), and astronomical (−12° to −18°). Each stage is defined by how far the Sun is below the horizon.
Deep-sky observing is best after astronomical twilight ends (Sun below −18°) and away from light pollution.
At higher latitudes the Sun meets the horizon at a shallower angle, so it spends more time crossing each depression band.
They overlap but are not identical. Blue hour is a photography term (roughly −4° to −8°); civil twilight is the scientific 0° to −6° band.