UTQIAGVIK, Alaska (WSVN) — Not a morning person? One town in northern Alaska is particularly well-suited for night owls — at least at this time of year.
The town of Utqiagvik saw its final sunset this past Sunday at 1:43 p.m. Its population of about 4,000 people won’t see the sun again for another two months, KTUU reports.
For the next 65 days, it will be dark outside. When a location experiences more than 24 hours without a sunrise, it enters what is called a “polar night.” Its opposite is called a “midnight sun.”
“This happens every year,” said CNN meteorologist Judson Jones. “If you live above the Arctic Circle, there will be a day when the sun sets for the rest of winter. The good news? It will return and then during the summer when it won’t set for days.”
According to CNN, Utqiagvik is one of four Alaskan towns to experience polar night, because all are located above the Arctic Circle.
The other three towns, Kaktovik, Point Hope, and Anaktuvuk Pass, are located further south than Utqiagvik, so their final sunsets will happen later on this month or into early December. Their polar nights will also end before Utqiagvik’s. The next sunrise there will happen on January 23, 2019.
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