Midnight Sun & Polar Night
Know that at the poles, daylight and darkness are extreme — in summer the Sun never fully sets (midnight sun) and in winter the Sun never rises (polar night lasting months) — and that this is very different from what we experience at home, where every day has both daylight and darkness
What a learner can do afterwards
- Describe midnight sun: in polar summer, the Sun stays above the horizon all day and night
- Describe polar night: in polar winter, the Sun stays below the horizon for weeks or months
- Compare this to normal day-night patterns at home, noting the dramatic difference
The lesson
At the poles, day and night are very different. In summer, the Sun can shine all day and all night. In winter, the Sun can hide for weeks.
At home, every day has light and dark. At the North Pole in winter, the Sun does not rise. It can stay dark for weeks.
Remember: at home, day and night always take turns. At the poles, one season can be all light or all dark.
Polar summer brings months of daylight. Polar winter brings months of darkness.
Watch it
Where it sits
Learn first
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.