Dusk
Dusk in Ashton-Sandy Spring, MD
Civil dusk in Ashton-Sandy Spring is the moment the sun drops to 6° below the horizon after sunset — the official end of civil twilight, when the sky becomes too dark for most outdoor activity without artificial light. Here are today's dusk time and surrounding twilight windows for Ashton-Sandy Spring, Maryland (39.15°, -77.01°).
Sun, moon & horizon
13h 57m of daylight · computed locally with suncalc
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Dusk and twilight in Ashton-Sandy Spring on August 8, 2026
Civil dusk in Ashton-Sandy Spring on August 8, 2026 is at 8:40 PM — the moment the sun reaches 6° below the horizon and the sky loses its last usable natural light. That is about 29 minutes after the 8:11 PM sunset, the gap during which street lights and headlights start to take over.
Twilight then deepens in stages: civil dusk at 8:40 PM gives way to nautical dusk at 9:16 PM (sun 12° down, horizon fading) and finally astronomical dusk at 9:54 PM, after which the sky is fully dark for stargazing. The best photographic slice sits just before civil dusk — the 8:32 PM – 8:40 PM blue hour, when the sky glows an even cobalt.
How long that whole hand-off lasts depends on latitude: at 39.2°N, Ashton-Sandy Spring sees a moderate seasonal change in day length, so twilight stretches out in summer compared with the tropics. With the days are drawing in through August, dusk creeps a little earlier each evening. Step the date above to plan any night.
More for Ashton-Sandy Spring
Gear for the shot
- Travel tripod Sharp frames in dim blue-hour light.
- Ball head Fast, precise recomposition on the tripod.
- Remote shutter release Avoid shake on long exposures.
- Headlamp Hands-free setup before dawn and after dusk.
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Dusk in nearby cities
Ashton-Sandy Spring — frequently asked
- What time is dusk today in Ashton-Sandy Spring?
- Dusk (civil twilight end) for Ashton-Sandy Spring is shown in the Sun table above. It falls shortly after sunset — typically 20–30 minutes later depending on the season.
- What is civil twilight and how is dusk different from sunset?
- Sunset is the moment the sun's upper edge dips below the horizon. Dusk — or civil twilight end — is when the sun reaches 6° below the horizon, about 20–30 minutes later. Between the two, there is still enough natural light to read outdoors; after dusk, artificial lighting is typically needed.
- Is dusk a good time for photography in Ashton-Sandy Spring?
- Yes — the window just before dusk is blue hour, offering even, cool light ideal for cityscapes, long exposures, and silhouettes against a deep-blue sky. The planner above shows the exact blue-hour and dusk windows for Ashton-Sandy Spring today.