Overview
- The last sunset occurred on November 18 at about 1:38 p.m. local time, marking the start of the 2025–26 polar night.
- Direct sunlight is not expected for roughly 65–66 days, with the next full sunrise projected around January 22, 2026.
- Despite the lack of sunrise, residents see brief civil twilight by day and often experience moonlight and aurora borealis at night.
- The phenomenon results from high-latitude geometry and Earth’s 23.5° axial tilt, the winter counterpart to the summer midnight sun.
- Home to roughly 4,400–5,000 people, many Iñupiat, the community relies on natural-gas heat, services from Barrow Utilities, tanker-delivered water to outlying homes, and manages health risks associated with prolonged low sunlight.