The town of Utqiagvik in Alaska, earlier known as Barrow, has entered its annual period of complete darkness after witnessing its last sunset of the year on Tuesday, November 18. This marks the beginning of what is known as “polar night”, a phase during which the sun does not rise above the horizon for around 65 days.

Utqiagvik is the northernmost community in North America and lies about 483 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. During this time of year, the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the sun, causing daylight in far northern regions to slowly disappear. The sun drops lower each day until it no longer appears at all, reaching its lowest point around the December solstice.

Throughout the polar night, residents receive no direct sunlight. The only brightness comes from a faint g

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