America's northernmost town enters polar night Monday as sun won't shine again until January
Starting at 1:27 p.m. AKST Monday, the sun will set for the final time this year in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, plunging the town into 64 days of complete darkness. It won't rise again until Jan. 22 at 1:15 p.m.
FILE – Capturing Alaska's polar night
Photographer Mark Mahaney traveled to Utqiagvik, Alaksa, in 2019 to capture the final days of the season’s polar night. He documented the darkness for 12 days.
UTQIAGVIK, Alaska – America's northernmost town is about to experience the annual phenomenon of polar night.
Starting at 1:27 p.m. AKST Monday, the sun will set for the final time this year in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, plunging the town into 64 days of complete darkness. It won't rise again until Jan. 22 at 1:15 p.m.
Utqiaġvik is about 500 miles northwest of Fairbanks, which does not experience this complete lack of daylight.
HOW DO ALASKANS COPE WITH NEARLY ALL-DAY DARKNESS IN WINTER, ALL-NIGHT DAYLIGHT IN SUMMER?
The sun sets beyond the frozen, snow covered Arctic Ocean in Utqiavik, Alaska, on April 9, 2019.
(Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
While the town won't be entirely dark, civil twilight will provide a few hours of dim light during what would typically be daytime. This period, when the sun's center is within 6 degrees below the horizon, offers a unique opportunity for stargazers to witness the celestial wonders unobstructed.
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FILE – Alaska town sees first sunrise in over 2 months
Utqiaġvik, Alaska had it's first sunrise of 2024 on Tuesday after 66 days of darkness.
This extreme darkness can significantly impact residents' mental and physical health. Many rely on vitamin D supplements and light therapy lamps to mitigate the effects of prolonged darkness.
However, the return of daylight in the spring, culminating in the mesmerizing midnight sun, brings renewed energy and vitality to the community.