Alaska Town Bids Farewell to the Sun

At 12:54pm local time Friday, the sun will rise in Barrow, Alaska. Thirty-six minutes later, it will set—and won't be seen again there until Jan. 22. But a two-month-long "polar night" is no strange occurrence for those living 1,300 miles south of the North Pole. USA Today reports residents of America's northernmost town, who also experience nearly three months of continuous sunlight in summer, won't have to spend all of the next 64 days in darkness. Though the sun will remain below the horizon, "civil twilight"—that is, when the sun is 6 degrees or less below the horizon—will still provide a dim light for about six hours per day in November and January and about three hours per day in December, reports Weather.com.

And when the sun does finally rise in Barrow, it won't be Barrow anymore. The Alaska Dispatch News reports the state has OKed a new name for the town following an Oct. 4 vote that ended up slimly in favor of the change. The town will be known as Utqiagvik (that's oot kay-ahg vik) as of Dec. 1. It's the native Inupiaq name for the town, and "means a place for gathering wild roots," per the Dispatch News. (Barrow sounds like a good vacation spot for those with this rare condition.)