A city that begins with 84 days of continuous daylight and the sun will not set until August

The city of Utkiejavik, located in the far north of the US state of Alaska, has officially entered the “midnight sun” phenomenon, after witnessing the last sunset at dawn on Sunday, beginning a period in which the sun will remain above the horizon for 84 consecutive days until August 2nd.

Time-lapse footage released by the US National Weather Service documented the final sunset moment, as the sun touched the horizon at 1:48 a.m. local time before rising again less than an hour later, signaling the start of the polar daytime season in the region within the Arctic Circle.

The “midnight sun” phenomenon is defined as the sun remaining visible for 24 hours a day in areas near the North Pole during the summer, as a result of the tilt of the Earth’s axis, which leads to daylight continuing for weeks or months depending on the geographical location.

This means that the residents of Utkiagvik will not experience a true sunset for the next few weeks, as midnight will turn into full daylight, while nighttime activities under the sun will become a regular part of daily life.

Despite the great tourist appeal of this phenomenon, the prolonged daylight poses challenges for residents, as many rely on blackout curtains and light-blocking methods to maintain a normal sleep pattern.

Meteorologists point out that the city itself experiences the opposite phenomenon during the winter, known as the “polar night,” when the sun disappears completely from the horizon for weeks on end.