25/11/2025
Polar night has officially begun in Alaska.
Could you survive 66 days of utter darkness?
For 66 consecutive days, the residents of Utqiagvik, Alaska—the northernmost town in the United States—will not see the sun.
Known as "polar night," this natural phenomenon began on November 18 and will continue until January 23. Caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis, polar night occurs in regions within the Arctic Circle where the sun remains below the horizon for extended periods during winter.
While complete darkness doesn’t take over—the town still experiences a daily dose of civil twilight—it’s a long, sunless stretch that can challenge both mood and health, particularly due to the lack of vitamin D.
Despite the darkness, there's balance in the cosmos: Utqiagvik also enjoys 24-hour sunlight from mid-May to mid-August during the phenomenon known as the “midnight sun.” In fact, all places on Earth average roughly the same amount of annual sunlight, though how that light is distributed through the seasons can vary dramatically. While it may seem unbearable to endure weeks without sunrise, for many in Utqiagvik, it’s just another part of life above the Arctic Circle—where the sky may go dark, but community life and natural beauty continue to shine.
