The 12 times of lighting Chanukah candles.

What time do you light chanuka candles ?

1.      If you will be unavailable to light in the evening,

You may light after  Plag Hamincha = 1.1/4* hour before

Tzeis Hakochavim (Shulchan Aruch)

2.       Plag = 1. 1/4* hour before Shekia**.(Levush-Gra)

3.       Shekia (Gra)***

4.        10 minutes after Shkia (Igros Moshe)

5.        20 minutes after Shekia (Chazon Ish)

6.        25 minutes after Shekia (R.A. Kotler)

7.        55.5 minutes after Shekia =2^nd Shekia (Mishna Verurah)Mil =22Min. x.75-72

8.        58.5 minutes after Shekia =   2^nd Shekia (M.V.)Mil. =18Min. x.75 -72          

9.        72 minutes after Shekia, Tzeis Hakochavim –

           or whenever it is****- (Shulchan Aruch)

   10)  All night as long the rest of the family is up (Rema)

  

   11) All night if didn’t manage to light on time

            until Alos Hashachar (Shevet Halevi)

  12)   even after Alos Hashachar (Shu”t Hisorros Teshuva)

         

            Now we  know , exactly when to light !

*שעות זמניות

**Shekia  is referred to first Shekia unless specified 2^nd Shekia

which starts 3/4 of a Mil before Tzeis. (13.5 or 16.5 min.)

*** In Hilchos Milah the Gra seems to hold Chanuka candles are lit at Tzeis

****Mori V’rabi Hagaon Harav S.Miller shlita said,

“In the olden days nobody knew of Shekia, but they

all knew when Tzeis Hakochavim was. Today everybody knows

when Shekia is, but nobody knows when Tzeis Hakochavim is.”

Most of the information was taken from Hagaon Harav S.Y.Bixenspanner's Shlita

Kunteres , "ליקוטי ימי אורה "