| DUSK | Twilight, or the darker part of it, that includes the blue hour (4) |
| UMBRAE | The darker parts of sunspots (6) |
| SEAS | Expanses of saline water forming the world ocean whose megafauna includes the blue whale, giant squid great white shark and the orca (4) |
| SKIN | Nature's protection: Even though we all have some melanin in our ___ (and the darker you are, the more you have), it's still important to wear sunscreen |
| ITOO | Hughes poem that mentions "the darker brother" |
| ZONE | Twilight or temperate follower |
| THOMPSON | Kate ___, author of novels The O'Hara Affair and The Blue Hour (8) |
| EUCALYPTUS | Australian genus of trees that includes the blue gum (10) |
| NEWSOUTHWALES | Australian state that includes the Blue Mountains and Sydney Opera House (3,5,5) |
| UMBRA | Darker part of a shadow cast during an eclipse (5) |
| RORQUAL | Any of several species of large baleen whales, which includes the blue whale (7) |
| UNDERSIZED | It's about the size of it that you didn't fit in, perhaps (10) |
| ECHIUM | Eurasian plant genus of the borage family whose members include the blue-flowered viper's bugloss (6) |
| LITTLEIRONHORSE | Canadian animal breed (answer is the nickname of it) that achieved official na 3 wds. |
| THEIR | By the sound of it, that place belonging to them (5) |
| CASHIER | Fire, or what's left of it that is in hollow container |
| NIGHT | Near end of twilight, or beyond it? (5) |
| UMBRAS | Darker parts of sunspots (6) |
| RICHTER | Composer performing at Blenheim Palace this summer, his works include the Blue Notebooks album and interpretation of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons (7) |
| VERONICALAKE | Actress born Constance Ockleman whose films include The Blue Dahlia (8,4) |
