Is it true the sun doesn't set in Alaska?

Answer 1

Well, it depends on where you are in Alaska. The shortened days of sunlight are caused by changes in the angle at which the sun's rays hit the earth as the earth rotates around the sun.

I am in Juneau (latitude 58.37 north, longitude 134.58 west), down in the southeastern part of Alaska. Here, on the summer solstice (about June 21st), we get about 18 hours of daylight. Then, we start losing about 5-10 minutes of daylight per day until we get to the winter solstice (about December 21st). On the winter solstice, we get about 6 hours of daylight. Then, we start gaining 5-10 minutes of daylight per day until we get to the summer solstice and the cycle starts over again.

Farther north, the differences are even greater. In Barrow (latitude 71.30 north, longitude 156.78 west), at the northern tip of Alaska, it really is the "Land of the Midnight Sun". Near the summer solstice, from about May 10th to August 2nd, the sun never sets. And near the winter solstice, from about November 18th to January 23rd, the sun never rises. At other times of the year, Barrow gains or loses daylight just like Juneau does.

Those are the two extremes. The rest of Alaska is somewhere between those two. For example, Fairbanks, in the middle of the state, gets about 20 hours of daylight on the summer solstice and about 4 hours of daylight on the winter solstice.

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Another contributor contributed another way to look at it:

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

Depends on where you are in Alaska. It is a VERY big state- the further North you travel, the greater the seasonal changes in daylight length. During winter months, the length of daylight becomes shorter and shorter. In Summer, days become longer and longer. If you are far enough North, during June it is light 24 hours, during winter, dark all day. But there IS no 6 month day and 6 month night.

Answer 3

In some of the very northernmost parts of Alaska the sun never sets for as much as 30 days in a row in the summer, so it is daylight all the time. In the winter the opposite is true, and there are very long periods where the sun never rises and it remains dark.

Answer 4

how many hours of sunlight are in Alaska . depends on time of year, the sun can be seen for 24 hours at certain times during summer.. see link http://www.gi.Alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF6/693.HTML

Answer 5

That depends on the time of the year. For any position within the polar circles, there will be a time of the year when the Sun doesn't rise, and another time of the year when the Sun doesn't set.

That depends on the time of the year. For any position within the polar circles, there will be a time of the year when the Sun doesn't rise, and another time of the year when the Sun doesn't set.

That depends on the time of the year. For any position within the polar circles, there will be a time of the year when the Sun doesn't rise, and another time of the year when the Sun doesn't set.

That depends on the time of the year. For any position within the polar circles, there will be a time of the year when the Sun doesn't rise, and another time of the year when the Sun doesn't set.

Answer 6

June is when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted the furthest toward the sun. If you can imagine the Earth, a sphere, rotating as the "top" half is tilted in the direction of the sun, you might notice that the highest latitudes (near the top of the sphere) will receive the most sunlight, while the latitudes near the South Pole will receive the least. However, the sun remains low in the sky, so the amount of radiation that reaches the surface is actually relatively small.

Take a look at the animation in the related link. That may help visualize it.

Answer 7

That depends on the time of the year. For any position within the polar circles, there will be a time of the year when the Sun doesn't rise, and another time of the year when the Sun doesn't set.

Answer 8

That is not entirely true. Alaska experiences the Midnight Sun phenomenon during summer solstice, where the sun does not fully set for several days in certain parts of the state. However, during the rest of the year, Alaska does have normal day and night cycles.

Answer 9

Yes it does, I watched discovery channel and some parts of the year it is light 24/7.