Alaska's 'Polar Night'

feline groovy — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 19:04:57 GMT

baby boom next August and September? ;-)

bless these hardy souls!

Northernmost US city of Utqiagvik in Alaska begins 65 days of constant darkness after its shortest day of the year saw just 64 minutes of sunlight

Utqiagvik, formerly named Barrow, had 64 minutes of daylight on Sunday
The sun set at 1.44pm on Sunday and will not rise again until January 23, 2019
Utqiagvik is 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle and has a population of 4,000
Residents 'celebrated' polar sunset by watching horror film 30 Days Of Night

DMUK

PUBLISHED: 11:17 EST, 19 November 2018 | UPDATED: 12:08 EST, 19 November 2018

Polar night has begun in the northernmost U.S. city of Utqiagvik, Alaska, which now faces 65 days of darkness.

Utqiagvik, formerly named Barrow, saw only 64 minutes of sunlight on Sunday, and following sunset at 1.44pm local time will not see the sun again until January 23, 2019 at 1.04pm.

The city of about 4,000 residents is 320 miles above the Arctic Circle, north of which all latitudes experience some length of polar night.

On Sunday, the sun rose in Utqiagvik at 12.40pm and set at 1.44pm.

12.39pm: A view of Utqiagvik as the sun rises for the last time for 65 days on Sunday

2pm: Street lights come on after the sun set at 1.44pm on Sunday in Utqiagvik, Alaska

5pm: The city was fully plunged in darkness by 5pm and will not see the sun until January 23

Some residents of the city gathered to 'celebrate' the final sunset of 2018 by watching 30 Days Of Night, the 2007 film that depicts Barrow, as it was then known, being overrun by vampires during polar night.

Residents said that cloudy conditions prevented them from seeing a true sunset when the sun went down, but that didn't dampen their spirit for marking the occasion.

'Celebrating the beginning of Polar Night at 1:44pm (sunset) with good friends, great food, and lots of laughs at a Hollywood film where, on Polar Night, vampires take over our little town,' resident Kirsten Alburg wrote on Instagram.

'We haven't seen the sun in 4 days, and another cloudy day today kept us from waving goodbye, but this fun snow mound photo-op proved that it's spirit is still with us! Here's to another dark and wonderful winter at the top,' she said in a caption to a group photo.

Utqiagvik residents are seen 'celebrating' the beginning of polar night with a group photo taken outside on Sunday during the final bit of daylight for 65 days

Utqiagvik, a city of about 4,000 residents, is the northernmost city in the US

Polar night begins at the North Pole on the Autumnal Equinox and spreads south to the Arctic Circle until the Winter Solstice, when it begins to retreat back north.

Temperatures in Utqiagvik plunge during polar night, dropping to average highs of -5 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter months.

Overnight temperatures can drop to -10 to -20 degrees in winter.

Despite the fact that it experiences polar night, Utqiagvik won't be in complete darkness.

Civil twilight will provide enough illumination to see objects outside for between three to six hours a day in the city.

During civil twilight, the sun is within six degrees below the horizon.

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Re: Alaska's 'Polar Night'

Catty2 — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 19:13:57 GMT

Very interesting. I've read several books on Alaska this year and always watch the TV shows about Alaska on Discovery, Animal Planet and National Geographic.

Re: Alaska's 'Polar Night'

JYWilliams — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 19:24:35 GMT

I hope to get to visit Alaska one day. Maybe when it's not so cold. I watch all the different Alaska shows that come on. I think it is beautiful there when watching the programs.

Re: Alaska's 'Polar Night'

Foolywooly11 — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 04:13:11 GMT

@feline groovy: Thanks for posting! I'm fascinated with all things 'Aalaska'. I wouldn't mind living there!

Re: Alaska's 'Polar Night'

LindaSal — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 13:17:07 GMT

I have visited Alaska twice, most recently a trip to Denali National park. It is such a vast state and so beautiful, truly is a world by itself. I am fortunate to have done a bit of traveling and have to say I would visit again in a heartbeat!

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