Utsjoki’s Nightless Night Comes to an End After Two Months
The phenomenon known as the nightless night has ended in Utsjoki, as the sun set below the horizon today for the first time since mid-May. For over two months, the sun remained continuously visible in the northernmost municipality of Finland, a characteristic feature of the Arctic summer.
While the return of night marks a shift in the region’s light conditions, darkness will not descend abruptly. Yle reports that nights will gradually darken, though the north will retain significant light even during nighttime for an extended period. The transition reflects the slow progression toward autumn in the Arctic Circle.
Astronomical data from Ursa, Finland’s astronomical association, notes that the sun has moved from the constellation Gemini to Cancer over the course of July. Additionally, Earth reached its aphelion—the farthest point from the sun—on July 6, when the distance between the two celestial bodies was approximately 152.1 million kilometers (MTV Uutiset). This event, however, has no direct impact on seasonal temperature variations.