Midnight Sun Tracker

The Midnight Sun Tracker calculates the number of daylight hours, including civil twilight, you can experience in Fairbanks, Coldfoot and Utqiaġvik (formerly known as Barrow) at different times of the year. Because Fairbanks is so far north, the area experiences 70 straight days of sunlight from approximately May 17th through July 27th, and conversely, during the Winter Season, the area experiences a significant reduction of daylight hours.

Change the calendar on the Midnight Sun Tracker and/or location and check out the radical shift in light for the three areas any time of year.

Can I see the Aurora right now?

Aurora Season: August 21-April 21

Check back frequently to see how up-to-the-minute, real-time aurora viewing opportunities change based on current aurora activity, weather and daylight.

When can I see the Midnight Sun?

Midnight Sun Season: April 22-August 20

Change the date on the calendar to see how the amount of daylight hours changes throughout the year.

Click on place names to see how chances of seeing the aurora borealis can differ based on location.

Click on place names to see how the chances of seeing the midnight sun differ based on location.

For More Info and 3-Day Forecast

Midnight Sun Tracker Map

Midnight Sun Tracker Locations

Fairbanks - Latitude 65

Located in the middle of the state, Fairbanks is in the sub-Arctic about 140 miles/225 km south of the Arctic Circle. More
Coldfoot - Latitude 67

A tiny wilderness community 260 miles/435 km north of Fairbanks, mid-way between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay. More
Utqiagvik - Latitude 71

Located on the Arctic Ocean with over 4,000 residents. By air, the village is 503 miles/810 km from Fairbanks and is the northernmost point of the US. More

Midnight Sun Webcams

Webcam at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

View downtown Fairbanks with this south facing webcam attached to the roof of the local newspaper. Operated by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. More
Webcam in Utqiagvik

View downtown Utqiagvik and the Arctic Ocean from the northernmost point in the USA. Operated by the Sea Ice Group at the Geophysical Institute/UAF. More
Webcam at the Alaska Climate Research Center

View the Tanana Valley and Alaska Range via webcam located in the Geophysical Institute/UAF. Operated by the Alaska Climate Research Center. More

Sun Averages for Fairbanks, Alaska

Explore More About The Midnight Sun

Civil Twilight

Civil twilight is an aeronautical term which determines the amount of light by how far the sun has gone below the horizon. If the sun has gone 6 degrees or less below the horizon there is considered to be “usable daylight hours.” This term is further defined by the ability of a pilot to clearly recognize objects on the ground as well as the horizon in reasonable weather. Click here for a link to civil twilight information: More

Sunrises and Sunsets

Sunsets and sunrises seem to last forever in the sub-Arctic. From mid-May through the end of July, the sunset literally merges with the sunrise casting a beautiful golden light that lasts for hours. During winter months, sunsets and sunrises often are accompanied by alpenglow, a sublime pinky peach radiance that rests atop mountains and hills and makes trees glisten. More

Midnight Sun Activities

Midnight sun activities include everything from watching a baseball game to going on a hike, riding a bike or teeing off a round of golf at 10 pm. Enjoy the flowers and vegetables that grow to an outlandish size under the golden light of the midnight sun and feel the powerful energy of a day without night. More

Flower and photographer at Chena Hot Springs Resort

Photographing The Midnight Sun

Photographing the midnight sun is a wondrous activity. For photographers, the Fairbanks region and farther north is a dream come true because the extended sunsets and sunrises allow for an ample amount of time to capture the perfect shot. The midnight sun often follows along the horizon dipping below only briefly before rising again. Find a vantage point on your own or with a tour guide that affords a sweeping view or a unique angle of the midnight sun and the horizon and start shooting!

A sign that reads LOVE ALASKA during a sunset along the Chena River

Solstices and Equinoxes

Solstices and equinoxes are dates that mark significant cyclical changes that define seasonal life in the sub-Arctic. Summer solstice, although full of light, denotes the day that Fairbanks starts losing sunlight and winter solstice, although quite dark, denotes the day when Fairbanks starts gaining daylight. Fairbanks, in essence, is always moving towards the darkness or moving towards the light. More

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