As we transition into March, with the promise of Spring just around the corner, a common question arises: What Time Does It Get Dark? After navigating through months with limited daylight, we naturally anticipate longer, brighter days ahead. In this article, we will explore the reasons behind the shift in darkness during winter, delve into the duration of twilight after sunset, and pinpoint when darkness descends in the weeks to come.
The Winter Darkness Explained: Earth’s Tilt and Seasons
Recall from science lessons that our planet orbits the sun, our source of light and warmth. Crucially, Earth’s axis is tilted. This tilt means that as Earth revolves around the sun, different hemispheres lean either towards or away from it, dictating the amount of sunlight each receives.
During winter in the Northern Hemisphere, this tilt causes it to lean away from the sun. Consequently, we experience shorter days and reduced direct sunlight, leading to colder temperatures due to less solar radiation. Conversely, the Southern Hemisphere experiences summer at this time.
This seasonal effect is reversed for the Southern Hemisphere. However, regions located along the equator, the Earth’s midline, enjoy relatively consistent day and night lengths throughout the year.
Understanding Twilight: The Stages of Darkness After Sunset
Have you ever noticed that darkness doesn’t fall immediately after sunset? This phenomenon is also linked to Earth’s spherical shape. Even after the sun dips below the horizon, it continues to illuminate the upper layers of our atmosphere. Sunlight interacts with gas molecules in the atmosphere, causing it to scatter and creating a period of diminishing light known as twilight.
Twilight is categorized into three distinct stages:
- Civil Twilight: During civil twilight, there is still ample light to see and perform outdoor activities without artificial light.
- Nautical Twilight: As nautical twilight sets in, objects become silhouettes, and the brighter stars and constellations begin to emerge in the night sky.
- Astronomical Twilight: Astronomical twilight marks the transition to true night. The sky becomes fully dark, ideal for stargazing and astronomical observations.
Experts estimate that the complete transition through these twilight stages takes approximately 70 to 100 minutes. Therefore, true darkness arrives roughly an hour and a half after the official sunset time.
Key March Dates Influencing Darkness
March is a month of significant changes in daylight hours, marked by important astronomical events.
Daylight Saving Time
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is implemented to maximize the utilization of daylight. Clocks are adjusted forward in the spring and backward in the fall. In 2021, Daylight Saving Time commenced on March 14th at 2:00 AM, when clocks were advanced by one hour. This “loss of an hour” signifies our shift towards longer daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere. Following this adjustment, the time at which darkness falls progressively shifts later each day.
March Equinox
The March Equinox, occurring around March 20th or 21st, marks the beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the point when the sun crosses the celestial equator, moving from south to north. During the equinox, day and night are approximately equal in length across the globe.
Pinpointing Darkness: What Time Does Night Fall?
Determining the precise time it gets dark in March requires considering the upcoming daylight transitions.
- In the first half of March, before Daylight Saving Time, anticipate sunset around 5:45 PM, with complete darkness settling in between 7:15 PM and 7:30 PM.
- After Daylight Saving Time commences, sunset will occur approximately an hour later, around 6:45 PM, with darkness following about 90 minutes afterwards.
- Following the March Equinox and the onset of Spring, sunset will continue to be pushed further into the evening. Notably, some countries in far northern latitudes may experience continuous daylight during the peak of summer, with no true darkness at all.
About the Author
Lydia B.
Lydia B. serves as a Marketing Coordinator and Music Club Coach at Gooroo, an organization providing personalized tutoring services, matching students with ideal tutors based on their unique learning preferences and needs. Gooroo offers tutoring in a wide array of subjects including Math, English, SAT preparation, Coding, and Spanish, among others.
