The long polar night has fallen in Utqiaġvik: the Alaskan city will not see the sun rise for 64 days

Imagine living in the dark, without sunlight, for over two months, in a freezing place, with temperatures as low as -20°C. That would be crazy, right? That’s exactly what will happen to the residents of Utqiaġvik, city ​​ofAlaska (formerly known as Barrow), which will not see the sun again until January 23, 2025.

Yesterday the 4,500 inhabitants, mostly Iñupiat indigenous people, saw it rise for the last time, at least for this year. In the city, which is located north of the Arctic Circle and is also known for hosting the Environmental Observatory (where scientists go to study the Arctic), a long, dark polar night has begun.

How do you live in the dark?

As explained by the National Weather Service (NWS), civil twilight begins when the center of the sun is within 6 degrees below the horizon.

“Under these conditions, in the absence of fog or other restrictions, the brightest stars and planets can be seen, the horizon and terrestrial objects can be distinguished and, in many cases, artificial lighting is not necessary” clarifies the NWS.

Fortunately, therefore, the population will not remain completely in darkness for the next 64 days. As meteorologists have made clear, so-called civil twilight will provide enough light to see during what would generally be daylight hours.

The community, composed mainly of Iñupiat natives, has developed various strategies over the centuries to adapt to these extreme conditions. In this period we experience:

The cause of the long polar night

But what caused more than two months of darkness? The phenomenon is connected to the inclination of the axis on which our Planet rotates. At latitudes higher than or equal to those of the Arctic Circle or in the Antarctic Circle, the Sun can remain below the horizon even throughout the entire day, depending on the greater proximity to the geographical pole. This situation therefore gives rise to the polar nights.

“Because the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun in autumn and winter, areas north of the Arctic Circle, within 23.5 degrees of the North Pole, experience more than two months in which the sun never rises above the horizon” explains The Weather Channel.

As anticipated, the next time the Sun rises in Utqiaġvik will be on January 23, 2025. But the first dawn won’t last long. Daylight will increase day by day, reaching four hours by the end of the month. When the sun finally reappears in January, the community will traditionally celebrate this moment with the “Return of the Sun” festival. This event marks not only the end of the polar night, but also the beginning of a gradual return to normality.