It is getting closer to showtime.
You are planning your first outdoor movie party and you are wondering about timing, specifically when should you start the movie? Obviously, when it is dark! Of course that is the easy answer when you are in control of show time (i.e. showing a movie), but that isn’t the case when you are showing a live event.
A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE
UFC 207 and the return of Rhonda Rousey is right around the corner and I am thinking about hosting a watch party. While living in paradise makes for great weather, the time difference from the mainland often presents some challenges. UFC 207 is scheduled for 30 December and starts at 10 PM EST, which is 5 PM HST here in Hawaii.
THE NAVY TO THE RESCUE
The United States Navy, “a global force for good”, provides outdoor movie enthusiasts with a useful tool. This SUN AND MOON DATA calculator will give you the exact time of Sunset.
BACK TO THE EXAMPLE
On December 30th, sunset is scheduled for 6 PM HST, so it won’t begin getting dark until an hour after UFC 207 begins. In most places it is still pretty light outside immediately following sunset, light enough to see without the assistance of artificial light.
GETTING TO THE POINT
I recommend you wait until a little after Sunset before starting the show, in fact there is a name for that sweet spot, it is called “Civil Twilight”. Civil Twilight begins approximately 20-30 minutes after sunset and is officially defined as when the center of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon. The Navy calculator will also tell you when Civil Twilight is, on 30 December it is at 6:24 PM HST, or in other words an hour and twenty-four minutes into the Pay-Per-View.
OTHER FACTORS
I live on the eastern side of the island and on the eastern side of a high mountain range which means the sun sets behind the mountains. Consequently, it gets a little bit darker here a little bit faster than the scheduled civil twilight. You will want to consider unique geographic aspects of where you live as well, things light are you in a wooded area, behind buildings, mountains, etc.
CONCLUSION
All things considered, I expect that my guests will be able to clearly see the image on the screen approximately an hour and ten minutes into the Pay-Per-View. Most Pay-Per-Views are about 2.5 hours long so we should have plenty of time to catch the title card and most people don’t care too much about the undercard. Hopefully, this will be helpful to you as you plan your own event, now I am off to find loose change in my couch to pay for UFC 207!
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