Canada's Alert Base To See 136 Days Of No Sunlight, Here Are Other Polar Night Spots

In the remote Canadian Arctic lies Alert, the northernmost permanently inhabited place on Earth, situated just 817 kilometers from the North Pole. Located on the northeastern tip of Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, Alert is home to a military and scientific base that endures some of the harshest and most extreme conditions on the planet. One of the most notable phenomena here is the polar night--a period during which the sun doesn't rise above the horizon for 136 consecutive days, plunging the region into almost total darkness.

This annual event typically begins in mid-October and continues until late February. This year, the last glimpse of the sun was on October 13, with its return not until February 27, as per BBC. During this time, Alert's residents rely on artificial lighting, and their circadian rhythms often need adjustment due to the extended absence of natural sunlight. Temperatures also plummet to extremes, frequently reaching below -40°C, and the isolation adds to the mental and physical challenges faced by those stationed there.

Other places to experience Polar night

Alert is not the only place in the world that experiences prolonged darkness. Other regions within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, including Svalbard and Jan Mayen, and Tromso in Norway also undergo several weeks or even months of polar night each year.

• In the remote archipelago of Svalbard and Jan Mayen in Norway, the polar night spans roughly 111 days, The Sun will set on October 26 and not rise until February 15.
• Even Norway's largest northern city, Tromsø experiences 49 days of sunless existence, beginning November 27 and ending in mid-January.
•  Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska, faces 65 days of polar night from mid-November to late January.
•  In Russia, Murmansk endures about 40 days, while Greenland's Ilulissat sees extended darkness from late October.
• At the opposite end of the globe, Antarctica's South Pole Station plunges into nearly six months of night, from March to September, supporting vital scientific research despite the harsh conditions

Why does it happen?

These periods of darkness are due to the tilt of Earth's axis, which causes the sun to remain below the horizon in polar regions during winter months. During the winter solstice in each hemisphere, the pole tilts away from the sun, preventing sunlight from reaching over the horizon. The farther one ventures toward the poles, the longer this nocturnal spell lasts.

Conversely, during summer, these same areas enjoy midnight sun, continuous daylight for extended periods.