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The
Midnight Sun
-- a feature of Alaska that its residents drink up each and every summer. It's a pretty
cool thing to be able to drive around at one o'clock in the
morning without the aid of headlights! Tourists also come
from around the world to appreciate the Summer Solstice which falls
on June 21st. The summer solstice marks the day of the year
with the most
sunlight, when the sun doesn't "set" until the wee hours of
the morning and comes back "up" only a couple hours later (see
our 'Shortest Days' page for exact times). Even
during the "set" hours, the sun barely kisses the
horizon. Its light reflects over the curvature of the earth
to where you can still get around and see
where you're going without the use of artificial lights. The further north
you travel in Alaska, the fewer hours between sunset and
sunrise. During the summer, only a short ways above
Fairbanks, the sun never sets at all !
There
are several ways that Alaskans celebrate the
Summer Solstice:
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The Midnight Sun Festival -
Fairbanks |
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Midnight Sun Fun Run - Fairbanks
(since 1983)
average of 3,000 runners; the fee
is $30 & proceeds go to the United Way |
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