Dawn vs. Dusk: What’s the Difference?

Main Difference

The main difference between Dawn and Dusk is that the Dawn is a time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise and Dusk is a darkest stage of twilight, or at the very end of astronomical twilight after sunset and just before night.

• Dawn

  Dawn, from an Old English verb dagian: “to become day”, is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in the atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun’s disc reaches 18° below the horizon. This dawn twilight period will last until sunrise (when the Sun’s upper limb breaks the horizon), as the diffused light becomes direct sunlight.

• Dusk

  Dusk occurs at the darkest stage of twilight, or at the very end of astronomical twilight after sunset and just before night. Pre-dusk, during early to intermediate stages of twilight, there may be enough light in the sky under clear conditions to read outdoors without artificial illumination, but at the end of civil twilight, when Earth rotates to a point at which the center of the Sun is 6° below the local horizon, artificial illumination is required to read outside. The term dusk usually refers to astronomical dusk, or the darkest part of twilight before night begins.

• Dawn (verb)

  To begin to brighten with daylight.

  “A new day dawns.”

• Dawn (verb)

  To start to appear or be realized.

  “I don’t want to be there when the truth dawns on him.”

• Dawn (verb)

  To begin to give promise; to begin to appear or to expand.

• Dawn (noun)

  The morning twilight period immediately before sunrise.

• Dawn (noun)

  The rising of the sun.

• Dawn (noun)

  The time when the sun rises.

  “She rose before dawn to meet the train.”

• Dawn (noun)

  The beginning.

  “the dawn of civilization”

• Dusk (noun)

  A period of time at the end of day when the sun is below the horizon but before the full onset of night, especially the darker part of twilight.

• Dusk (noun)

  A darkish colour.

• Dusk (verb)

  To begin to lose light or whiteness; to grow dusk.

• Dusk (verb)

  To make dusk.

• Dusk (adjective)

  Tending to darkness or blackness; moderately dark or black; dusky.

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