Dusk and last light
Dusk is the fading light after sunset, as the Sun sinks further below the horizon. Last light, or civil dusk, is the moment the Sun reaches 6 degrees below the horizon and usable daylight is gone; after that the sky darkens through nautical and astronomical dusk into full night.
See dusk for your city
Every city page shows today's dawn, sunrise, solar noon, golden hour, sunset and dusk in local time.
Last light, civil dusk and the three dusks
Dusk mirrors dawn in reverse. Civil dusk, at 6 degrees below the horizon, is last light: the end of comfortable outdoor light. Nautical dusk follows at 12 degrees, when the sea horizon disappears, and astronomical dusk at 18 degrees, after which the sky is fully dark and the faintest stars appear.
How long dusk lasts depends on where you are. Near the equator the Sun drops steeply and night falls fast; at high latitudes dusk can stretch for hours, and in high summer it may never fully darken.
Dusk is not the same as sunset
Sunset is the instant the Sun's upper edge slips below the horizon. Dusk is the fading twilight that follows. For blue-hour photography or a last look before dark, dusk is the window that matters.
Frequently asked questions
What time is dusk today?
Civil dusk (last light) is typically about 20 to 40 minutes after sunset, longer at high latitudes. Open your city to see today's exact sunset and dusk times.
What is last light?
Last light is civil dusk: the moment the Sun reaches 6 degrees below the horizon and usable daylight ends, shortly after sunset.
Is dusk the same as sunset?
No. Sunset is the instant the Sun disappears below the horizon; dusk is the fading twilight afterward.
How long after sunset is dusk?
Civil dusk ends roughly 20 to 40 minutes after sunset at mid latitudes, and much later near the poles where twilight lingers.