Anchorage, Alaska, isn’t quite the “land of the midnight Sun.” Tonight, there are about five hours between sunset and sunrise. But it is a land of midnight sunlight, because twilight never completely fades.
Twilight is the transition between day and night. Earth’s atmosphere scatters sunlight from the dayside to the fringes of the nightside.
But when, exactly, does twilight end? When is the sky really dark? As you might expect, astronomers have their own definition.
Astronomical twilight begins or ends when the Sun is 18 degrees below the horizon – about twice the width of your fist held at arm’s length. That’s when the sky’s as dark as it’s going to get.
Because of the Sun’s motion, astronomical twilight lasts a minimum of about an hour and 10 minutes. But because the Sun usually rises and sets at an angle, twilight can last a good deal longer.
During much of June and July, when the days are longest, twilight for much of the northern hemisphere lasts all night. The Sun never drops far below the horizon, so even though it’s out of sight, its light never disappears. So the people of Anchorage need some good blackout curtains to get a dark night’s sleep.
If you want a few hours of darkness, head south – someplace like Miami Beach. It gets a full seven hours between evening and morning twilight – hours that might be illuminated by the neon lights of South Beach, but not by the Sun.
Script by Damond Benningfield
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
