The National Weather Service of the United States published an impressive timelapse video showing how the sun barely touched the snowy horizon of Utqiagvik, Alaska, before rising again, marking the beginning of 84 consecutive days of uninterrupted sunlight.
The video shared by ABC News captures the exact moment when the sun "set" (visible at all times) at 1:48 AM last Sunday and rose again just 69 minutes later, at 2:57 AM. From that moment on, the celestial body will not hide again in that city until August 2.
Utqiagvik is the northernmost city in the United States, located more than 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle, at a latitude of 71°17'N, and has a population of approximately 4,500 residents, mostly from the indigenous Iñupiat people.
The phenomenon, known as Midnight Sun, occurs every year in this location between May 10 and August 2. Its cause is the tilt of the Earth's axis of 23.5 degrees, which during the northern summer prevents the sun from fully setting at latitudes above 66°33'N of the Arctic Circle.
The National Weather Service described the moment as follows: "The sun rose above the horizon at 2:57 in the morning and will not set for 84 consecutive days, until August 2."
The image of a sun that barely grazes the snow before taking flight challenges the usual perception of day and night, and explains why the timelapse went viral on social media within hours.
Continuous light is not just a visual spectacle: it has documented effects on the health of residents. Permanent exposure suppresses the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, leading to insomnia, fatigue, irritability, and disorientation. Studies indicate that between 30% and 50% of the local population experiences sleep disturbances during this period.
The city was known as Barrow until 2016, when its residents voted to restore its original name in the Iñupiaq language, which means "place for gathering wild roots." The Iñupiat have inhabited the area for over 1,500 years, which they historically used as a location for hunting whales, seals, and fishing.
The extreme cycle of light and darkness in Utqiagvik does not end with the Midnight Sun. The opposite phenomenon, the Polar Night, occurs between November and January, when the sun does not rise for approximately 65 consecutive days, completing one of the most extreme natural calendars on the planet.
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