The sun shines at night in Utsjoki, Finnish Lapland, on June 25, 2025. In Utsjoki, the sun does not set below the horizon for more than two months around the summer solstice. Photo: Otto Ponto / Str / Lehtikuva
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The sun is set to dip below the horizon in Utsjoki, northern Finland, for the first time in more than two months on Monday night, bringing an end to the municipality’s annual stretch of uninterrupted daylight.
According to the Ursa Astronomical Association, sunset in Utsjoki will occur at 00:25 on Tuesday morning, with sunrise returning just one hour and 35 minutes later at 02:00.
The period of continuous daylight, often referred to as the “nightless night”, began in Utsjoki on 16 May. During this time, the sun remained above the horizon at all hours, a phenomenon experienced annually in Finland’s far north during summer.
Although the sun will now set briefly, skies will remain bright throughout the night due to the sun’s shallow dip below the horizon. The astronomical night does not fully return until later in the season.
In contrast, full darkness last occurred in southern Finland on 11 May, according to Ursa. Regions closer to the capital experience more than two and a half months of extended daylight, though not full polar day conditions.
Utsjoki, located above the Arctic Circle, is Finland’s northernmost municipality. Each summer, it attracts visitors seeking to experience the midnight sun and its unique effect on the natural environment and human activity.
Ursa, Finland’s oldest and largest amateur astronomy organisation, confirmed the end of the polar day and noted that sunrise and sunset times will continue to shift rapidly in the coming weeks as the region moves toward autumn.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
