Just after sunrise

S and I left the house on Fidelis Avenue a few minutes after 0600, before even the first of the three twilights. Twilight is when there is light from the sun, but the sun remains below the horizon. There are three types of twilight, which occur in the morning and in reverse order in the evening.

The first morning twilight is astronomical twilight and is the period when the sun is between 18º below the horizon and 12 º below. It is followed by nautical twilight; between 12º and 6º below the horizon. The last period of time before sunrise (6º below to sunrise) is known as civil twilight.

If driving during civil twilight, it is permissible to not have the car headlights on; headlights must be on during marine and astronomical twilight. In Auckland, each period of twilight is about a half hour at this time of the year. The closer one is to the South or North Pole, the longer is each period of twilight in the summer and the shorter in the winter. (I think!!).

So this morning, astronomical twilight began shortly after we left, and I would not have wanted to drive without headlights on. At about halfway to central Auckland , we entered marine twilight; I was still happy to be using the headlights. The trip became abruptly slower, and during that the amount of light increased and we were into civil twilight. While I was still happy to have the headlights on (I actually drive with them on all the time), I put on my sunglasses as the reduction in light was more than compensated for by the improved focus.

We arrived in central Auckland just shortly after the rising of the sun, and I avoided including the sun in the photo I've blipped as the softer light is more beautiful, softening the harsh lines of the container port to the left and making the summit of Rangitoto appear mystical and attractive.