Richmond, TX
Have you ever heard of Midnight Sun and Polar Night? Midnight Sun is the phenomenon where the sun is visible all 24 hours of the day. Meanwhile, Polar Night is the opposite. Polar Night occurs when it is night for 24 hours a day. How do these phenomena occur?
The short and easy answer is the tilt of the Earth. As the Earth has a 23.5 degree tilt, it causes the Northern Hemisphere to be pointed away or toward the Sun. The same goes for the Southern Hemisphere. For example, the Northern Hemisphere is pointed towards the sun, which means that the Southern Hemisphere would be pointed away from the sun. The North and South poles are on the very bottom and top of the planet, which means whenever the tilt of each is away or towards, it will either be complete darkness or complete daylight.
When the sun appears all twenty-four hours of the day, it is called Midnight Sun. How does that impact the way people live? The majority of us live in both daylight and darkness, so living in daylight all the time must come with both pros and cons. The sun being out all day, even during nighttime, could be troubling. In hotels near the areas that have Midnight Sun, they install thick curtains, so it feels like it’s dark outside when you're sleeping. The next thing Midnight Sun affects is your environment and ecosystem: because of more light, plants grow fast.
Polar Night is when there is complete darkness all 24 hours a day. How does this impact the way people live? What are some of the effects of Polar Night? You may feel sad or have difficulty staying awake. However, the main difference between Midnight sun and Polar night is that with Polar Night you receive a little bit of sunlight each day. Utilize the little light you receive and go out during those times.
How does Polar Night affect the environment and ecosystem? Some animals migrate to places where the sun is still shining, but most stay put. Plants find their nutrients in the soil and adapt to minimal or no sunlight.
Midnight Sun and Polar Night are wonders of the Earth; they are perceived as beautiful, but also terrifying, phenomena of nature.
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