The town of Utqiagvik in Alaska has witnessed its last sunrise for the year, marking the beginning of its annual Polar Night—a period during which the sun does not rise above the horizon. The northernmost settlement in the United States will remain without direct sunlight until 22 January 2026, totaling 64 consecutive days.

The phenomenon occurs due to the Earth’s axial tilt, which places parts of the Arctic Circle in continuous darkness each winter. Despite the absence of sunrise, Utqiagvik will not be in complete darkness; residents will still experience a few hours of “civil twilight,” a soft blue light that appears before dawn.

Home to roughly 4,400 people, the town sits about 500 miles northwest of Fairbanks and is known for archaeological sites dating back to around 500 AD. During the Polar Night, temperatures typically drop sharply across the region, while the lack of sunlight contributes to the formation of the Polar Vortex—a mass of extremely cold air trapped high in the Earth’s stratosphere.

Although winter brings more than two months of darkness, summer in Utqiagvik is its opposite: nearly three months of continuous daylight. The next sunrise is expected at approximately 1:23 p.m. local time on 26 January 2026.