Alaskan town Utqiagvik sinks into darkness for 66 days

Located 515 km from the Arctic Circle, Utqiagvik entering 66 days of darkness is an annual phenomenon occurring every winter due to the tilt in the earth’s axis.

The residents of Alaskan town of Utqiagvik will not see daylight for the next two months as Utqiagvik entered its annual phase of darkness beginning Thursday.

Sun can be seen setting at the frozen Emaiksoun Lake at Utqiagvik, Alaska. (Vicki Brown/Google Maps)

Located 515 km from the Arctic Circle, Utqiagvik entering 66 days of darkness is an annual phenomenon occurring every winter due to the tilt in the earth’s axis.

The town which was formerly known as Barrow experiences polar night along with several other Alaskan towns but is the first to enter the polar night phase as it is located at the northern end of the American state.

Will it be pitch dark in Utqiagvik?

According to CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar, residents of Utqiagvik will see civil twilight during the daytime hours. Chinchar said, “Think of what the sky looks like just before sunrise, or just after sunset. That is what they see for several hours a day, from now until January 22, when the sun will ‘officially rise’ again.”

Polar Day

Utqiagvik will also see the polar day come May as the sun does not set for 80 days. This occurrence is called midnight sun as well as the sun does not set completely for almost two months.