The remote Alaskan town will experience its last sunset of 2024 on November 19th.

Residents of Utqiaġvik, Alaska, America’s northernmost town, will bid farewell to the Sun on November 19, 2024. For the next 65 days, they will remain in darkness until the Sun reappears on January 23, 2025. CNN meteorologist Judson Jones notes, “This happens every year,” as areas above the Arctic Circle experience a winter phase of complete darkness.

Located just 1,300 miles from the North Pole, Utqiaġvik’s long polar nights are due to the Earth’s axial tilt of 23.5 degrees. This tilt prevents sunlight reaching these northern areas in winter months, with the North Pole experiencing uninterrupted darkness from September to March.

Despite the absence of direct sunlight, residents will still experience a phenomenon known as “civil twilight,” allowing for some light each day as the Sun’s rays bend just above the horizon, creating stunning hues at twilight. Initially, this twilight lasts for about six hours but will diminish to just three hours by mid-December.

Utqiaġvik isn’t alone in this experience; other Alaskan towns and regions in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and parts of Scotland also endure similar periods of polar night. However, residents of these areas are rewarded each summer with the “midnight sun,” where the Sun remains visible for up to 82 consecutive days from May 12, 2025, to July 31, 2025!

Resources: Wikipedia.org, CNN.com, Weather.com