The northernmost city of Alaska, Utqiaġvik, has once again entered the mysterious Polar Night, as the sun disappears from the sky for 64 days until January 22, 2026.
This rare phenomenon occurs due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis, keeping the sun below the horizon for over two months. But it’s not total darkness — a soft civil twilight casts a blue glow, similar to the faint light just before sunrise.
Home to around 4,400 residents and located 500 miles from Fairbanks, Utqiaġvik also holds ancient historical sites dating back to the 5th century AD.
The Polar Night brings freezing temperatures, icy winds, and rapidly changing weather, sometimes creating powerful polar vortex systems that can affect regions far beyond Alaska.
The fascinating twist? The same city that endures months of darkness basks in continuous sunlight for nearly three months in summer, allowing high school football games to be played under the midnight sun!
Alaska’s extreme seasonal journey has begun again — a land of stunning contrasts between darkness and light.