Is it dark yet?

Is it dark yet? is a real-time sunset and darkness tracker that tells you instantly whether it is dark outside at your exact location. Using your device's GPS or a city search, it calculates the sun's current position and shows live sunrise, sunset, civil twilight times, moon phase, and a real-time sky simulation that updates every second.

How does it work?

The site uses standard astronomical algorithms to compute the sun's altitude — its angular height above or below the horizon — based on your latitude, longitude, and the current time. When the sun is more than 6 degrees below the horizon, the site reports that it is dark. Between 0 and -6 degrees, it reports twilight. Above the horizon, it reports that it is still light outside.

What is civil twilight?

Civil twilight is the period when the sun is between 0 and 6 degrees below the horizon. During civil twilight, there is still enough natural light for most outdoor activities without artificial illumination. The sky takes on deep blue and orange hues. Civil twilight has two phases: morning civil twilight, which begins at civil dawn (the first detectable light of day) and ends at sunrise; and evening civil twilight, which begins at sunset and ends at civil dusk (the point at which the sky is considered genuinely dark).

Sunrise and sunset explained

Sunrise is the moment the upper edge of the sun first appears above the horizon. Sunset is the moment the upper edge of the sun disappears below the horizon. These are not the same as dawn and dusk: civil dawn occurs a few minutes before sunrise, when the sun reaches 6 degrees below the horizon on its way up, and civil dusk occurs a few minutes after sunset, when the sun reaches 6 degrees below the horizon on its way down. The period between civil dawn and sunrise is morning civil twilight; the period between sunset and civil dusk is evening civil twilight.

What is sun altitude?

Sun altitude is the angular height of the sun above or below the horizon, measured in degrees. A positive altitude means the sun is above the horizon and it is daytime. Zero degrees means the sun is exactly at the horizon, which corresponds to sunrise or sunset. A negative altitude means the sun is below the horizon: between 0 and -6 degrees is civil twilight, and below -6 degrees is considered dark. The site displays the current sun altitude in real time so you can watch the sun's position change throughout the day.

Day progress bar

The day progress bar shows your position between sunrise and sunset. It fills from left (sunrise) to right (sunset) as the day advances, with a "Now" marker indicating the current time. This gives a visual sense of how much daylight remains before the sun sets and darkness begins.

Moon phase

The site also displays the current moon phase and illumination percentage. The moon goes through eight phases over a 29.5-day cycle: New Moon, Waxing Crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full Moon, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and Waning Crescent. The illumination percentage tells you how much of the moon's visible surface is lit by the sun, from 0% (New Moon) to 100% (Full Moon).

World city darkness status

In addition to your own location, the site shows whether it is currently dark in 16 major cities around the world, including New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, Dubai, Los Angeles, Chicago, Mumbai, São Paulo, Cairo, Moscow, Singapore, Toronto, Berlin, and Mexico City. You can also search for any city worldwide to compare sunrise, sunset, and darkness times side by side.

Frequently asked questions

What does "is it dark yet" mean?

The site answers whether the sun has set far enough below the horizon that it is genuinely dark outside — specifically, when the sun is more than 6 degrees below the horizon, which marks the end of civil twilight and the beginning of true nighttime darkness.

What is civil twilight?

Civil twilight is the period when the sun is between 0 and 6 degrees below the horizon. During civil twilight, there is still enough natural light for most outdoor activities without artificial illumination. The sky takes on deep blue and orange hues. Civil twilight begins at civil dawn and ends at civil dusk.

What is the difference between sunset and dusk?

Sunset is the moment the upper edge of the sun disappears below the horizon. Dusk, or civil dusk, occurs when the sun's center is 6 degrees below the horizon — several minutes after sunset. Between sunset and dusk, the sky gradually darkens through civil twilight. The site considers it "dark" only after civil dusk has passed.

What is the difference between dawn and sunrise?

Dawn, or civil dawn, is the moment when the sun's center reaches 6 degrees below the horizon on its way up — the first detectable light of day. Sunrise occurs a few minutes later when the upper edge of the sun first appears above the horizon. Between civil dawn and sunrise, the sky brightens through morning civil twilight.

How does the site calculate sunrise and sunset times?

The site uses the SunCalc JavaScript library, which implements standard astronomical algorithms for solar position. Calculations are based on your exact latitude, longitude, and the current date and time, producing precise sunrise, sunset, civil dawn, and civil dusk values for your location.

What is sun altitude?

Sun altitude is the angular height of the sun above or below the horizon, measured in degrees. A positive altitude means the sun is above the horizon (daytime). Zero degrees means the sun is exactly at the horizon (sunrise or sunset). A negative altitude means the sun is below the horizon — between 0 and -6 degrees is civil twilight, and below -6 degrees is considered dark.

What is the day progress bar?

The day progress bar shows your position between sunrise and sunset. It fills from left (sunrise) to right (sunset) as the day advances, with a "Now" marker indicating the current time. This gives a visual sense of how much daylight remains before the sun sets.

Does the site store my location?

No. Your GPS coordinates are used only within your browser to calculate solar position. They are never transmitted to a server, stored in a database, or shared with third parties. You can also search for any city instead of sharing your location. See the privacy policy for details.