How many days of darkness does Alaska have and why?

Answer 1

Anyplace on earth that's farther north than the Arctic Circle, or farther south than the

Antarctic Circle, has at least one day a year when the sun doesn't rise, and at least

one day a year when the sun doesn't set. The closer you get to the poles, the longer

these annual periods of no sunrise and no sunset get.

Most of Alaska is south of the Arctic Circle, and has a sunrise and sunset every day of

the year. The Arctic Circle crosses Alaska on the line roughly through Shishmaref, Allakaket,

and Fort Yukon. North of that line is where you can have 24 hours without a sunrise

or 24 hours without a sunset.

Answer 2

Alaska experiences days of darkness during the winter months due to its location in the northern hemisphere. In areas north of the Arctic Circle, such as Utqiaġvik, there can be up to 67 days of continuous darkness in winter, known as polar night. This occurs because the tilt of the Earth causes the sun to not rise above the horizon during this period.