Polar Nights Are Phenomenal and Cover a Large Area

Super fact 69 : Polar nights happen in the regions north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle. Together the two polar regions cover an area double as large as the United States, and it includes a population of millions of people. During a polar night the sun does not rise for days, or months, up to six months.  The polar nights are special, not just for the daytime darkness, but for the spectacular aurora borealis, the starlit skies, the extremely clear air, and the fact that people often lose track of time during polar nights.

It should be noted that even though the sun never rises during the polar night it may not be totally dark during the entire polar night. Part of the time you may get some light in the middle of the day, what is called polar twilight (nautical twilight or astronomical twilight). Nautical twilight tends to be bluish as shown in the photo below.

Characteristic nautical (blue) polar twilight in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Characteristic nautical (blue) polar twilight in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons

When our kids were young, we visited the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi in northern Sweden. We went in March, during the American spring break, which was not during the polar night, so we did not experience it then. The polar night in Jukkasjärvi will begin December 5, 2025, or December 10, 2025, depending on how you count, and end at the beginning of January. However, the Ice Hotel was a fun way to experience a polar region. When I did my Swedish army service I spent the winter in the forest around that area, and even further north, and I experienced the Polar Night firsthand,

Photo is of a large ice table and ice chairs located in the middle of the lobby, which is filled with tall pillars made of ice at the ice hotel. Polar Nights Are Phenomenal and Cover a Large Area
The lobby of the ice hotel. Our kids are sitting around a table of ice. A chandelier of ice is hanging above the table. The light is from fiber optics, so the ice won’t melt.

During my army service we stayed in tents in the forest far away from villages and cities and we often did not use any lights. The result was that it was incredibly dark most of the time. It was so dark that I could not see my own hand if I held it right in front of my face. The upside was that the sky was filled with thousands of stars on a clear night. It is estimated that you can see between 2,500 to 5,000, even 10,000, stars in the sky with the naked eye if you have good vision and it is completely dark. You could also see the Milky Way Galaxy very clearly and easily, as well as the Andromeda Galaxy, meteors, comets, satellites, not to mention the most spectacular aurora borealis that you can see anywhere on earth. That certainly beats the 14 stars and 3 planets that you can see with the naked eye on a clear night here in Dallas, Texas, where I live now.

Stars in the sky. Blue night panorama, a universe full of stars, nebula and galaxies | Milky way sky on dark background, and a lot of stars.
Milky way sky on dark background, and a lot of stars. Asset id: 2524020369 by MR.PRAWET THADTHIAM

On one occasion I was standing guard outside the camp. We were pretending that we were at war with the Soviet Union. It was minus 40 degrees, and they forgot about me. I stood there alone in the darkness and the extreme cold for more than three hours. This was considered dangerous. The rule was no more than one hour out in the cold at a time. Once they discovered that I had been there for more than three hours they came to get me, and they apologized profusely. They were happy that I was not hurt. However, I did not mind, because my night sky view was spectacular. The night sky was so spectacular, it was to die for.

If it is cloudy and you are far from any civilization it may be pitch black in the afternoon. Even if it is not cloudy but the moon is not out it will be pitch black later in the afternoon. In addition, the air is very clear during the polar night, because the cold sunless Arctic air often contains almost no moisture and the visibility stretches for 100 miles. If you want to remain unseen in this situation it is very important to understand that even the tiniest light will be very visible, far away.  Our platoon did an experiment. Someone lit a cigarette about one mile away and we could very easily see the bright cigarette even through the forest. The lesson was, No Cigarettes, and No lights!

Stunning aurora borealis lights up the night sky with vibrant colors, creating a mesmerizing natural display in the Arctic wilderness. | Polar Nights Are Phenomenal and Cover a Large Area
Aurora Borealis are often spectacular in the polar regions, especially during the polar night. Asset id: 2499746583 by HappyVibeArt

I consider this a super fact because the polar night is a surprising phenomenon to those who do not know much about the arctic and my claims above are true and important since the polar regions are large and under threat from climate change / global warming.  The polar regions and thereby the polar night also cover an area that is not small, and four million people live there.

Partial map of the northern hemisphere focused on the polar circle.
The Arctic Circle, at roughly 66.5° north, is a commonly-accepted boundary of the Arctic waters and lands. CIA World Fact Book, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Midnight Sun

I can add that in the summer (northern hemisphere) you have the opposite phenomenon with the midnight sun. Just like the polar night can cause people to lose track of time so can the midnight sun. When we visited northern Sweden with our niece Jessica for my brother’s wedding, we had what is called midnight sun. Jessica was nine years old at the time. A couple of hours after we had gone to sleep Jessica woke me up “wake up Thomas, it is time to go out and play”. I protested, no it is not, it is one a clock at night and we are going to sleep. Jessica protested, she said, “No the sun is up, it is morning it is time to play”.

So, I said “Jessica, let me explain something to you. This is northern Sweden in June and here the sun is up in the middle of the night, and we are not going outside to play in the middle of the night.” After that my wife went out to play with Jessica, but I refused to go out and play at one o clock at night.

Ice Hotel Photos

Finally, I just wanted to include a few of my photos from the Ice Hotel, just for fun.

He is standing and kicking with his feet to move forward with the sled. He is passing in front of the ice theater. | Polar Nights Are Phenomenal and Cover a Large Area
Our son David with one of the kick sleds called “spark”.
A photo of an ice table and 7 instruments made of ice standing on an ice stage.
This is a photo of the ice instruments standing on the ice stage.
My wife and three children are sitting on a dog sled and looking into the camera.
We are going on a dogsled tour. The ice theater is in the background, and you can see part of the ice hotel on the right.
The kids had a lot of fun during the dogsled tour. | Polar Nights Are Phenomenal and Cover a Large Area
You can see ten dogs and the sled with us on top of it. On the left is a kåta, a movable Sami structure (indigenous arctic Scandinavian people). It is like a Tipi.
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Author: thomasstigwikman

My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.

77 thoughts on “Polar Nights Are Phenomenal and Cover a Large Area”

  1. I’m familiar with both the midnight sun and the polar twilight and know exactly what you mean about being able to see very far in the dark during Arctic winters. When flying at those latitudes in December we often saw the aurora; so spectacular. On clear nights the stars were amazing.

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    1. I agree, the stars, the auroras, the strange twilight (when it is not dark), it is all amazing. I remember seeing an aurora from Ohio. Everyone was excited but it was not as spectacular. It stretched about 10 maybe 15 degrees above the horizon and was not very colorful or bright. That compared to my childhood’s auroras starting right above my head at zenith and reaching all the way down to the horizon and flaming like a fire in all colors, wild and fast. It happened that people panicked because they thought the world was burning and they saw faces in the auroras. Very different from southern latitudes.

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  3. Incredible photos and adventure, Thomas. I’ve been to Alaska a few times, and with each trip, I’ve marveled at the dark/light differences and the Aurora Borealis. It’s like another world. Thank you for explaining the phenomenon.

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  4. I live in Fairbanks, so we do not experience Polar Night- we have approx 4 hours of actual daylight at our darkest. Polar night in Alaska this year is 11/20- 1/22 in Utqiagvik which is about 500 miles north of here. Thank you for the wonderful pictures- I have always wanted to experience a similar climate in a foreign country.

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  5. 40 below! I added a jacket just reading this post. I’ve read about the ice hotels. Kudos for visiting! I’m researching the Laschamp Excursion–about 42,000 years ago–when the poles temporarily reversed and much of the world experienced the colorful aurora borealis. I won’t ever look at them the same.

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    1. I’ve heard of that event but I don’t know much about it. I can imagine that a reversal/collapse of the magnetic field would have a large concequences. It will be interesting to read about it. In northern Sweden there once was a very large and bright aurora covering the entire half of the sky with what looked like flames in all kind of colors. People thought they saw the faces of God and Jesus in the aurora and panicked. They thought the end of the world was coming.

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      1. It occurred around the time of the Neanderthal’s extinction, so theories abound about its relevance to that event. The damage to their (probably white) skin and more because it was a constant event rather than sporadic.

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  6. Really interesting facts and photos, Thomas!

    Most of us Canadians live close our southern border and never experience these phenomena. I’ve never been north of 60, never mind the Arctic circle, but I’ve experienced -40C and the aurora borealis while I lived in Saskatoon Saskatchewan in the 1980s.

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    1. Thank you so much Robbie. Our kids loved the Ice Hotel and they had a lot of fun dog sledding, looking at ice art, ice fishing, and using the kick sled. My wife was less happy with the temperature but she was born in Brazil. If you ever go there you certainly would take great pictures.

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                    3. I had to reply to a different comment because we ran out of comment levels. Anyway, I agree, you would not normally not go to the ice hotel to stay in the warm building, but I think my wife wasn’t ready for how cold she felt. The problem was that we had big warm sleeping bags, but for them to work you had to put the zipper all the up above your head and she did not feel like sleeping that way.

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    1. Thank you Maggie. The cold keep people from wanting to visit but it is a very unique place. Extra powerful auroras and amazing night skies, unique nature, the polar night and midnight sun, and the crisp and clear air.

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  11. Wow, this was absolutely mesmerizing to read!
    The way you captured the magic of the polar night, the aurora, and even the silence of the Arctic felt like stepping into another world.
    Your storytelling makes the phenomenon come alive—it’s not just a “super fact,” it’s a super experience.
    I truly admire the depth and detail you bring to your posts.

    I’d love for you to also visit my blog sometime and share your thoughts there.
    Your comments always add so much light and meaning, and I’d be honored to have your presence on my page too.

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  13. Your story about the Polar Night is truly captivating. You share not only scientific insights but a personal journey filled with stars and emotion. The way you describe the blazing Aurora Borealis lets us feel the Arctic’s rare magic. Thank you for opening a window into this astonishing world and honoring us with vivid memories from your military days there.

    Thinking about the Arctic’s clear air and the challenge of tracking time, there may be a neglected factor of biological adaptation. A body deprived of light for months shifts its circadian rhythm dramatically, entering new sleep-wake patterns that feel otherworldly. This deepens the sense of strangeness we feel, echoing Lynette and harythegr8, making the experience uniquely essential for us all.

    Behind the beauty of the Polar Night, we hear your gentle warning about environmental fragility. You remind us that such wonders must be protected, revealing a hidden message we cannot ignore. Through this inspiring Super Fact, awareness of polar conservation can grow, letting people recognize both the majesty and the vulnerability of these regions. May your hopeful call guide action.

    Arctic wonder guiding awareness toward fragile beauty

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    1. Thank you so much Sally. The kids certainly had a lot fun. I should say that I am pretty used to the cold so me being forgotten at sentry duty was not as scary. If I had started having problems I would have walked back to the tents (they all had stoves). There was no real war after all.

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  15. The surreal nature of living in such conditions fascinates me. I read that people party a lot during these long, dark days and nights, some people get very depressed, and the suicide rate goes up. I don’t know if this is true or not, but it’s what I read. It sounds like a very spiritual experience. At least, that’s how I would embrace it.

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    1. Yes it has been rumored that the darkness can make people depressed. My wife was not happy about it when we lived there. She went outside shopping in December with our two year old son at 2PM and it was already dark, and she thought that sucked. On the other hand the suicide rate in the US is higher than in Sweden, so I am not sure it is true or not.

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  16. Just reading this post makes me shiver, as I have a low tolerance for cold. How could you stand being outside in -40 degree weather for over 3 hours, Thomas?! 🥶 While I understand that a Polar NIght is a unique experience, the prolonged darkness would bother me almost as much as the sub zero temperatures. The Aurora Borealis would be wonderful to see, though. And the Ice Hotel looks amazing, but I can’t imagine staying there, either! Were you comfortable?

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    1. Well, you sound just like my wife. She did not enjoy the Swedish winter and the darkness, she did not enjoy the Ice Hotel even though the kids did. Next to the Ice Hotel they have a warm wooden building. She left our room at the Ice Hotel in the middle of the night and went there instead. With the Ice Hotel you pay like it is the Hilton but you get the comfort of campling (in the cold). However, you pay for the adventure not the comfort.

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      1. I would have rushed over to the warm building as well! 😆 Cold really bothers me, as I have a mild case of Raynaud’s Syndrome, plus too much darkness depresses me. You are very hardy, Thomas.

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        1. I am sorry to hear you have Raynaud’s Syndrome. You have to be more careful with the cold then, as well as stress I’ve read. The warm wood building next to the Ice Hotel entrance is there for a reason. The kids loved sleeping in an ice room but it isn’t for everybody.

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    1. Yes I know from your books that you love sunny places and so does my wife. I am a bit more flexible about that. The kids loved the ice hotel but my wife left in the middle of the night and walked over to the heated wood building that was across from the entrance.

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  18. An ice hotel? That’s so cool! I think it would be interesting to experience the constant darkness for a short period of time. I don’t know that I could survive polar night, though; I struggle with winter here and we get 8+ hours of daylight.

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    1. Yes I am familiar with the Ice Hotel in Quebec City. I’ve never been there but we’ve been to and we stayed overnight at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, in northern Sweden, which is the original and the biggest Ice Hotel in the world. In addition to northern Sweden and Quebec there are Ice Hotels in Norway, Finland, Alaska, and Romania. The kids loved sleeping on ice beds at the Ice Hotel. My wife was less happy and she left in the middle of the night to stay in the warm wooden building across the entrance. The beds are made of ice and on top of the ice blocks is a wooden sheet and on top of the wooden sheet are reindeer hides and special sleeping bags made for extreme temperatures. As I said, very exicting for the kids.

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        1. Unfortunately our views of what is fun changes when we grow up. The kids were so excited, and they were laughing, running around the icy/snowy hallways and looking at ice statues and then crawling into the sleeping bags and laughing. My wife, on the other hand, was cold and uncomfortable. It is true that you pay for a room as if it is Hilton but you the get the comfort of camping in winter. But you pay for the adventure, not the comfort.

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            1. Yes I think so. It was something very different. We also rode a train (it was a slow train back then) and we had a sleeping coupe. That was also exciting because you rarely go by train in the US. But we crashed into a moose. The nature you saw when looking out the window was a wintry arctic landscape very different from Texas. Short firs heavy with snow, and 2-3 yards of snow on the ground in some places, rounded mountains without trees, reindeer, etc.

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              1. Moose are a danger on our roads. The car and the passengers usually get the brunt of the damage. Would you say the sleeping coupe was a comfortable way to travel by train? (My husband and I have been thinking about it.)

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                1. Sweden has a lot of Moose, especially northern Sweden, and reindeer too. My brother crashed into Moose twice, totalling his car. I think the sleeping car was comfortable. You did not have a bathroom in the coupe but every traincar had a bathroom but no shower. It was bunkbeds. Other than that it was comfortable. I should also say that Swedish trains are known to be more comfortable than American trains. Another thing is that speed trains have become more common so I am sure how much you would need a sleeping coupe. You travel at 200 miles per hour and don’t need an overnight train. Speed trains have very wide and comfortable seats, better than first class on a plane.

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  21. This post is magical, Thomas. I remember photos of your ice hotel stay before, but loved the explanation of the polar night and your experiences there. Reading about you being left out in the cold, but distracted by the stunning sky, was mesmerizing. There aren’t many places so dark in the world, and it seems sad that most people won’t get that glimpse of the universe. The aurora borealis photo was spectacular. Great post

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    1. Thank you so much Diane. Even though the night sky here in Dallas is not so great there are places a couple of hours away with a stunning night sky, such as the Dark Site in Atoka County in Oklahoma. It is a place dedicated to absolute darkness. It is far away from any city or village or major road, and far into the empty country side, and lights from cars, flash lights, etc., are not allowed around there. This makes it super dark and you can see thousands of stars and the Milky Way on a clear moonless night. We’ve been there and it may not be as impressive as the night sky above arctic circle when far away from civlization, but almost.

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            1. Before you mentioned Oregaon I only knew of two dedicated darksites in the US the one in Atoka county in Oklahoma and one in New Mexico. Northern Sweden around the Finnish border is pretty much a big darksite, but not a dedicated darksite.

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