Her454
11-22-2005, 12:22 PM
How do Alaskan's do it? I would go NUTTS.
Barrow, Alaska, begins 12 weeks of midnight sun
The Associated Press
BARROW, Alaska (AP) Monday's sunrise was the last for Barrow residents for the next 84 days, as the summer of continuous daylight begins for the USA's northernmost point.
The midnight sun shines on the Arctic Ocean, top, the tundra where Barrow is located, and ponds around the town in July 2002. The narrow strip on land at the upper right is Point Barrow.
AP file
The sun rose at 2:49 a.m. and will next sink below the horizon at 1:54 a.m. Aug. 2.
The continuous daylight has some of Barrow's 5,000 residents stocking up on aluminum foil to cover their bedroom windows so they can sleep.
That's not an issue for others.
"Since I grew up with it, I don't have any problem sleeping," lifetime resident Doreen Simmonds said.
After the sun sets on Aug. 2 the days begin growing shorter by at least nine minutes a day until the sun sets on Nov. 18, not to rise again until Jan. 23. Then, days begin growing longer by around nine minutes a day until next May 10, information from the U.S. Naval Observatory shows. (Related data: Sun, moon, stars, time)
Barrow has a midnight sun in summer and no sun at all in the winter because it's about 400 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Although the sun is in the sky 24 hours a day in the summer, it's low in the sky and thus supplies less warmth than in places farther south. July is Barrow's warmest month, but the average high temperature is only 45 degrees and the average low is 34 degrees.
Even during the winter, Barrow isn't as dark and you might think.
First, even though the sun never rises, it's often less than 6 degrees below the horizon, which means there is "civil twilight." During civil twilight, if the sky isn't cloudy, it's light enough for most outdoor activities without artificial light.
Even on the year's shortest days in late December, Barrow has around three hours of civil twilight each day.
Also, during the winter the moon stays in the sky for days at a time without setting, and then isn't seen for days. The days it is seen are when it's close to being full.
For example, the moon will rise over Barrow on Dec. 22, 2004 with 88% of its disc visible, stay in the sky through full moon and Dec. 26 and finally set on Dec. 30, with 85% of its disc visible
Barrow, Alaska, begins 12 weeks of midnight sun
The Associated Press
BARROW, Alaska (AP) Monday's sunrise was the last for Barrow residents for the next 84 days, as the summer of continuous daylight begins for the USA's northernmost point.
The midnight sun shines on the Arctic Ocean, top, the tundra where Barrow is located, and ponds around the town in July 2002. The narrow strip on land at the upper right is Point Barrow.
AP file
The sun rose at 2:49 a.m. and will next sink below the horizon at 1:54 a.m. Aug. 2.
The continuous daylight has some of Barrow's 5,000 residents stocking up on aluminum foil to cover their bedroom windows so they can sleep.
That's not an issue for others.
"Since I grew up with it, I don't have any problem sleeping," lifetime resident Doreen Simmonds said.
After the sun sets on Aug. 2 the days begin growing shorter by at least nine minutes a day until the sun sets on Nov. 18, not to rise again until Jan. 23. Then, days begin growing longer by around nine minutes a day until next May 10, information from the U.S. Naval Observatory shows. (Related data: Sun, moon, stars, time)
Barrow has a midnight sun in summer and no sun at all in the winter because it's about 400 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Although the sun is in the sky 24 hours a day in the summer, it's low in the sky and thus supplies less warmth than in places farther south. July is Barrow's warmest month, but the average high temperature is only 45 degrees and the average low is 34 degrees.
Even during the winter, Barrow isn't as dark and you might think.
First, even though the sun never rises, it's often less than 6 degrees below the horizon, which means there is "civil twilight." During civil twilight, if the sky isn't cloudy, it's light enough for most outdoor activities without artificial light.
Even on the year's shortest days in late December, Barrow has around three hours of civil twilight each day.
Also, during the winter the moon stays in the sky for days at a time without setting, and then isn't seen for days. The days it is seen are when it's close to being full.
For example, the moon will rise over Barrow on Dec. 22, 2004 with 88% of its disc visible, stay in the sky through full moon and Dec. 26 and finally set on Dec. 30, with 85% of its disc visible