The types of twilight

The different phases of twilight have an effect on the visibility of celestial bodies. During civil twilight, only the brightest stars can be seen, while more stars are visible during nautical twilight. Most stars are visible during astronomical twilight. After astronomical twilight is the best time for astronomical observations.

Civil twilight: This is the period after sunset when the sky is still relatively bright. During this time, the fewest stars can be seen, but you can still recognize nearby objects. Civil twilight ends when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.

Nautical twilight: This follows civil twilight and is a period when the sky becomes darker but there is still enough light to see the horizon. Most of the stars can be seen during this phase. Nautical twilight ends when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon. It takes its name from the importance it had for navigation in seafaring and still has to some extent today.

Astronomical twilight: This is the darkest of the three twilight states and begins when the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon. During this time, the sky is very dark and most of the stars are visible. Astronomical twilight ends when the sun is more than 18 degrees below the horizon.

From June 10, 2023 to July 2, 2023, the sun in Zweibrücken will not sink lower than just under 18 degrees below the horizon. So, astronomically speaking, it will no longer be completely dark during this period.