Photographer Mark Mahaney traveled to Utqiagvik, Alaksa, in 2019 to capture the last days of the season’s polar night. He documented the darkness for 12 days.
UTQIAGVIK, Alaska – America’s northernmost city is about to experience the annual phenomenon of the polar night.
Starting Monday at 1:27 PM AKST, the sun will set for the last time this year on Utqiaġvik, Alaska, plunging the city into 64 days of complete darkness. It won’t rise again until January 22 at 1:15 p.m
Utqiaġvik is located about 500 miles northwest of Fairbanks, where this complete lack of daylight does not occur.
HOW DO ALASKANS DEAL WITH ALMOST ALL-DAY DARKNESS IN WINTER, AND ALL-NIGHT DAYLIGHT IN SUMMER?
The sun sets over the frozen, snow-covered Arctic Ocean in Utqiavik, Alaska, on April 9, 2019.
(Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
While the city won’t be completely dark, civil twilight will provide a few hours of dim light during what would normally be daytime. This period, when the center of the sun is within 6 degrees below the horizon, offers stargazers a unique opportunity to witness the heavenly wonders unobstructed.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDERS AS WINTER APPROACHES
Utqiaġvik, Alaska experienced its first sunrise of 2024 on Tuesday after 66 days of darkness.
This extreme darkness can have a significant impact on the mental and physical health of residents. Many rely on vitamin D supplements and light therapy lamps to alleviate the effects of prolonged darkness.
However, the return of daylight in spring, culminating in the enchanting midnight sun, brings renewed energy and vitality to the community.
