Land of the Midnight Sun

Don't forget to check out BJ;s current blog at The Birding Traveler

 It is, of course, common knowledge in the lower 48 that an important characteristic of Alaska is long days in the summer and long nights in the winter in AK and why it is that way.   In my case I even experienced longer days and longer nights when stationed along the northern tier of the lower 48 while in the USAF.

HOWEVER, knowing about those long days and experiencing them are really two different things!  By the time we reached Tok, AK we were further north then we had ever been!  And the "midnight sun" came to be more then an abstract thought!  It does not get dark this time of the year.

Near sunset at 12:05AM!!

Fortunately, we can darken the bedroom as much as we want/need to.  But, I don't normally go to bed until shortly after 11PM.  And it is disconcerting to look out the window as I am getting ready for bed to see it look like noon time!  There is about a 2 inch crack at the top of the bathroom door into the bedroom and no matter what time I may wake up during the night, 2AM, 3AM, 4AM there is always daylight streaming in about the door!  Not enough to be a problem, but in the lower 48 you don't even notice that crack!

No limited vision after midnight!  

It appears the sun is so little below the horizon that a very bright twilight lasts from sunset to sunrise.  Now in late June sunset is about 12:19 AM and Sunrise is about 3:25 AM!  Of course it changes a minute or two each day.

My experience is that Solstice is a day on the calendar that most of us do not pay much attention to!  Well not so in AK!  Summer Solstice was last week and it was a BIG event.  Had a Midnight 5K Marathon  in Fairbanks, Run to the Sun!  There was a carnival downtown all day and any number of parties, private and public, all in honor of Summer Solstice!  Unfortunately we left Fairbanks the day before and it rained most of the day - but I doubt that dampened the spirits much!

Another picture after midnight and the sun still shinning brightly!

It the midnight sun experience has an interesting experience!  Maybe one night when we have a clear unobstructed view of the horizon I will stay up and watch the transition. I expect the bright sunset twilight will move from the western sky across the southern horizon and become the bright twilight of the sunrise!

If I do I will get some pic of the transition!  But, don't hold your breath.

I am glad we are here in the summer as I don't think I would like the reverse of this in the winter.

Always at home, no matter where we are!!