Friday07 February 2025
korr.in.ua

Nights on Earth can last up to six months. What conditions on the planet make this phenomenon possible?

Researchers have revealed the longest nights in the history of our planet and the specific locations where they occurred.
Ночи на Земле могут продолжаться до полугода. Узнайте, какие условия способствуют этому явлению на планете.

Every year at the North Pole, the sun sets in mid-September and does not return until mid-March — this marks the onset of polar night, which lasts for 179 days or about six months. Similarly, long nights occur at the South Pole, albeit at a "reverse time," when winter arrives in the Southern Hemisphere, as reported by IFLScience.

It is no secret that such extended periods of darkness during the winter months are observed only in a few countries located at extreme latitudes. For instance, in the northernmost point of Finland, in Utsjoki, polar night begins at the end of November and lasts for 52 days until January.

A similar schedule is observed across the border in Arctic Norway: at North Cape, the northernmost point of the country, the sun disappears below the horizon around November 20 and does not return until January 22 — here, polar night lasts for over 60 days.

In one of the northernmost cities in the world — Qaanaaq in Northern Greenland — polar night lasts from October 24 to February 17. Researchers note that in Greenland, this period is called Kaperlak — locals do not celebrate the arrival of darkness, but the first sunrise is always welcomed with parties.

According to scientists, some of the longest periods of darkness are experienced in the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world: Alert, in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, Canada. Here, polar night lasts for 106 days from October 30 to February 13.

полярное сияние, полярное сияние норвегия

Despite its name, polar nights are not entirely black. Some glimpses of light can still be observed for a few hours each day — during these periods, the sky is painted in a soft blue hue.

Researchers point out that this sky color is caused by the refraction of sunlight in the Earth's atmosphere — this means it can create shades of pink, red, orange, and other colors that we typically observe during sunsets or sunrises.

No less impressive, according to researchers, is the fact that even during these incredibly long periods of darkness, people in communities continue to live and thrive in these extreme conditions, adapting to the rhythm of polar night.