page_title: Dawn
section_title: Civil dawn
hierarchical_section_title: Dawn / Types of dawn / Civil dawn
caption_attribution_description: English: The California desert experiencing Civil Dawn in March 2020
context_page_description: Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's horizon. This morning twilight period will last until sunrise, when direct sunlight outshines the diffused light.
context_section_description: Civil twilight begins when there is enough light for most objects to be distinguishable, so that some outdoor activities, but not all, can commence.  Formally, civil dawn occurs when the Sun is 6 degrees below the horizon in the morning.
  If the sky is clear, it is blue colored, and if there is some cloud or haze, there can be bronze, orange and yellow colours. Some bright stars and planets such as Venus and Jupiter are visible to the naked eye at civil dawn. This moment marks the start of civil twilight, which lasts until sunrise.
caption: Beginning of morning civil twilight in southern California, United States
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