There’s a town in Alaska where…

Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly known as Barrow). It’s the northernmost city in the United States, and because it’s located above the Arctic Circle, it experiences a natural phenomenon called polar night.

🌑 Polar Night in Utqiaġvik:

• Duration: The sun sets in mid-to-late November and doesn’t rise again until late January — about 65 days of darkness.
• During this time, it’s not pitch black 24/7. They get a few hours of “civil twilight” each day, which looks like dusk or dawn.

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Why it happens:

• The Earth’s tilt is the culprit. In winter, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun.
• Above the Arctic Circle, that tilt is so extreme that the sun never breaches the horizon for a while.

On the flip side:

• In summer, they get the opposite — midnight sun, where the sun doesn’t set for about 80 days straight. Wild, right?

🏙️ Utqiaġvik, Alaska – Life at the Top of the World

📍 Location:

• Latitude: 71°17′44″ N — well above the Arctic Circle (66.5° N).
• Population: Around 4,500 people, mostly Iñupiat (Alaska Native group).
• It’s remote — no roads connect it to the rest of Alaska. You get in by plane.

🌌 The Polar Night – How it Works

🕶️ Length:

• Starts: Around November 18
• Ends: Around January 23
• That’s 65 days when the sun doesn’t rise at all.

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☁️ What It Looks Like:

• It’s not totally dark all day.
• There’s something called civil twilight — kind of like the light right before sunrise or just after sunset.
• During this time, the sky turns deep blue or purple. You can see a bit without artificial light, but the sun never crosses the horizon.

☀️ Midnight Sun – The Flip Side

• From May 10 to August 2, the sun stays above the horizon 24/7.
• That’s nearly 80 days of daylight — even at 2 a.m., it’s bright out.
• People often hang blackout curtains to sleep, and kids might be seen playing at midnight.

❄️ Climate and Life

🧊 Weather:

• Winter temps: Often -20°F (-29°C) or colder.
• Winds can make it feel even colder — “feels like” temps of -50°F aren’t rare.

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😱 Fun Fact:

• The long darkness isn’t for everyone — Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is common, so people use light therapy lamps to stay mentally healthy.
• But many residents say you get used to it — it becomes peaceful and even comforting.