It typically takes between 70 to 100 minutes after sunset to get completely dark, though this depends on factors like location, time of year, and latitude.
Key Factors Affecting Darkness Timing
- Latitude: Closer to the equator, darkness arrives faster (around 30-40 minutes). Near the poles, twilight lasts longer, making it take up to a few hours to get fully dark.
- Time of Year: In summer, twilight lasts longer so darkness takes more time to fall. In winter, nights come faster after sunset.
- Twilight Stages: Darkness arrives after three twilight phases:
- Civil twilight (20-30 minutes after sunset): still some light
- Nautical twilight (another ~20-30 minutes): stars start appearing
- Astronomical twilight (around 30 minutes after nautical): full darkness when the sun is 18° below the horizon
Practical Timings
- Southern locations often see darkness about 70 minutes after sunset.
- Northern locations may take up to 100 minutes or more (~1 hour 40 minutes).
- Near the equator, true darkness can come within 30 to 40 minutes.
- At higher latitudes, it can take significantly longer, sometimes a couple of hours or more, especially during summer months.
In summary, expect roughly 1 to 1.5 hours after sunset to achieve full darkness under typical mid-latitude conditions, with variations depending on geographic and seasonal factors.
