This Town In Alaska Stays In Darkness For 67 Days!

Utqiaġvik, also known as Barrow is a town in Alaska. It is also the largest city in North Slope Borough in the state of Alaska, USA. Being one of the most one of the northernmost cities and towns, it experiences 24-hour daylight for over 90 days and 24-hour total darkness for 67 days a year. The phenomenon is known as the polar night. The sun sets for the last time in Barrow, Alaska, in the middle of November each year, and the residents of the town do not see the sun on their horizon until the middle of January, next year. Let’s have a closer look at this intriguing phenomenon and what life is like in Barrow, Alaska.

Polar Night

This happens due to the axial tilt of the earth. During the winter as the town of Barrow move along the earth’s orbit, it positions in a way that the sun remains under the horizon for the majority of the day.  This reduced appearance of the sun casts this small town in Alaska in ultimate darkness. This is unique to the northernmost and southernmost regions of Earth, where the polar circles are located. Several towns in addition to Barrow, experience polar nights of various duration. The nights are especially long during the winter solstice. This is when Barrow is tilted away from the sun at a maximum angle.

Civil Twilight

The town won’t be completely dark as civil twilight takes over for several hours during what would usually be daytime. Civil twilight is the time when the geometric center of the Sun is between the horizon and 6° below the horizon. There would be just enough light remaining to not need artificial sources of light.

History & Its Residents

The town has been the home to an indigenous ethnic group called “Iñupiat.” It is one of the oldest inhabited town sites in the United States, and there is evidence that shows human habitation that goes back to 800 AD. According to the Iñupiat language, Utqiaġvik means “the place where we hunt snowy owls.” Snowy owls are a species that have lived in Barrow and have given nourishment to people for thousands of years.

After the USA acquired Alaska as one of its states in 1881, the United States Army built a meteorological and magnetic research station in the city. The city was slowly put together the city with churches, post offices, and many more.

The town of Utqiaġvik, situated 2100km away from the North Pole, is recorded to have the lowest average temperature out of all Alaskan cities. During the polar night, the temperature level can reach around -20 degrees Fahrenheit.

 It has about 4500 residents. The town, a residence of indigenous Inuit people, has a rich history surrounding it. During the polar nights, they join together in activities like Snowmobiling, ice fishing, and dog sledding, during the course to keep away the darkness.

Miracles in the Skies

The skies of Barrow during polar nights are a sky gazers’ dream. In addition to the luxury of observing the sky with minimal interference from artificial light sources, they also get to witness Aurora Borealis or the ‘Nothern Lights’. Swirls of green, blue, and purple dance over the Arctic sky, mesmerizing the onlookers in a spectacular show of light. This time of the year is especially suited to witness this magnificent phenomenon and visitors from all around the world come to Barrow during this time of year to witness this dance of lights.

Midnight Sun

The prolonged nights of the winter in Barrow, Alaska are compensated by the phenomenon known as the Midnight Sun, where the sun remains over the horizon for an extended period of time. So the people of Barrow get to experience long days in the summer, coupled with long nights in the winter.

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