How long does it take to get dark after the actual sunset time?

30 minutes.

I second that...you have about 30-35 minutes after actual sunset until its really dark. Sometimes 40, but don't bank on that.

As a military pilot, we used 30 minutes as a rule of thumb, prior to putting on night vision devices. You will find that is close enough for "getting home by dark." However, light levels vary significantly based on moon phases, starlight, man-made lighting in the area and weather.

I love to try to time evening runs to get home just as it's getting dark.

So my sunrise is 7:21 and sunset is 5:15 but civil twilight says the day is from 6:53 to 5:44.

The further north you are, the longer dusk/dawn last during the summer.

Anchorage, Alaska: 1 hour in winter, 4+ hours in summer (never gets dark).

Key West, Florida: 25 minutes, summer or winter.

http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/anchorage-alaska.html

http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/key-west-florida.html

26 minutes is the average time between sunset and the end of civil twilight.

I should add that if you are running in a tree lined canyon when the sun sets, it will seem to get dark much faster. I know how long it takes to get dark and not realizing how fast it can get dark in certain situations is something that can spook you.

hmmmm? wrote:

You know how when the sunset is say.. 5:30, it takes a while longer before it becomes a lot darker? How long does it take? If the sunset is say, 5:15, would it only become pretty dark around 5:30-35?

The United States Navy/military has an online tool available to the public (google Sunrise Sunset times and look for a govnerment/military site/address). I think the term is "civil twilight" and look for when it ends. This database will also give you an idea of trends--how the timings change as the seasons proceed, location by location.

It depends where the Sun is in it's rotation around the Earth.

I recognize my writing style and creating this thread 4+ years ago. It's always interesting seeing one of my threads from years back occasionally be bumped back up to the top.

It's however long it takes the light to reach us after the sun disappears.

Whatver the speed of light is relative to the actual distance the sun is away from Earth.

When the sun is gone, the light is still getting here for a while.

Hope the comment about the sun rotating around the Earth was a typo :)

It actually depends on whether the part of Earth you're standing on is transparent or not.

It will keep getting darker and darker until the sun is 18˚ below the horizon. At which point it will be as dark as it will get. Every 6˚ is broken up into these phases: civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight. How long each phase lasts depends on your latitude, but is usually 20-30 minutes. During civil twilight there is still plenty of natural light. From nautical on twilight you will most likely need a light source.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTvcpdfGUtQ source for the above!

da Answer wrote:

26 minutes is the average time between sunset and the end of civil twilight.

Globally, year around? That seems very short. Anyhow.

Working south through the UK

Sunrise & Sunset times for Scotland

on

Astronomical twilight begins 02:47:38

Nautical twilight begins 03:59:51

Dawn - civil twilight begins 04:53:35

Sunrise: 05:33:56 40 minutes

Sun at its highest (transit) 13:09:41

Sunset: 20:45:26

Dusk - civil twilight ends 21:25:47

Nautical twilight ends 22:19:31

Astronomical twilight ends 23:31:44

Sunrise & Sunset times

for New Grimsby, Isles of Scilly, England

on

Astronomical twilight begins 03:39:45

Nautical twilight begins 04:38:50

Dawn - civil twilight begins 05:26:59

Sunrise: 06:04:11 37 minutes

Sun at its highest (transit) 13:31:06

Sunset: 20:58:00

Dusk - civil twilight ends 21:35:13

Nautical twilight ends 22:23:22

Astronomical twilight ends 23:22:26

First off, I didn't realize this was an old thread until I had to answer the "important" anti-spam question..;). Anyhow, to answer the OP's question...I would probably say slightly longer than my 5k time? Meaning, I will sometimes try run to a 3+ hilly mile right before sunset and after a few brewskis. Best. Run. Ever.

an elementary school is different than a school of fish