- By Ridam Sharma
- Tue, 18 Nov 2025 04:11 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The polar night is the period when the sun does not rise for almost 65 continuous days. In the n Utqiaġvik, which is officially known as Barrow, Alaska, from mid-November to late January, the sun does not rise over the region. And the next sunrise here shows up around January 22 or 23. This happens because of the axial tilt of Earth, which is about 23.5 degrees. During the Arctic Circle's winter months, the area leans away from the sun. This makes the sun continuously stay below the horizon, and the area experiences no sunlight for days and sometimes months, depending on how far the area is from the Arctic Circle.
Despite the absence of sun, it is not exactly pitch dark here throughout the polar night. There are a few hours of civil twilight each day, where the sun is below the horizon but still close enough for residents to see because of the ambient light. This darkness greatly affects the life of the Utqiaġvik population, which is currently around 4.6 K people, according to the World Population Review report. Most people of Utqiaġvik, Alaska, also go through Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a type of depression linked to changes in seasons.
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Alternative sources of light, like artificial lighting, light therapy, and vitamin D supplements, have a great market here. Still, people keep moving here with regular errands like school and businesses; nothing stops.
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These dark days of the polar night end when the Earth returns to a position where the sun can shine over the Arctic Circle again. This also means longer days have arrived, and the winter darkness is at an end. This sun return is also celebrated by the local community here as a symbol of hope and new beginnings.



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