Does Alaska have six months of darkness and six months of light?


Contrary to what many people assume, Alaska does not have six exact months of darkness and six months of light. Depending on the time of year and the tilt of the Earth on its axis, Alaska will receive significantly less or more daylight than the contiguous United States due to how much closer the land is positioned near the North Pole. The further away from the equator means the more extreme the sun exposure or darkness will be. The northernmost city in Alaska, Utqiagvik, will be plunged in perpetual darkness for 64 days in the winter time; conversely, in the summer time, a similar amount of time will experience perpetual sunlight.