Why is it dark all day long at the North Pole?

Question

Why is it dark all day long at the North Pole?

Answer 1

  It's light all day long in the summer.

Answer 2

sun doesnt hit it

Answer 3

If you were to monitor the sun's path for a year's time at the North Pole, the following would happen. Starting the first day of spring. The sun is circling the horizon on its way above it. It spirals up in circles around the sky until it reaches its highest. On the first day of summer in June, the sun is circling the sky at 23.5deg above the horizon. After that it spirals downward. On the first day of fall in Sep, the sun is now circling the horizon. After that, the sun is below the horizon and continues to drop until the first day of winter in Dec. On this day the sun is 23.5deg below the horizon. After that the sun begins to spiral upwards. On the first day of spring in Mar, the sun appears at the horizon once more to go through the same cycle again.

Answer 4

the earth is tilted so when the north pole is tilted away from the sun, the sunlight doesn't reach it

Answer 5

because the earth is tilted on an axis, when its tilted away from the sun, they get no sunlight

Answer 6

In the Winter, the earth's north pole points away from the sun, so it is dark for 6 months. In the summer it points towards the sun, so it is bright for 6 months.

Answer 7

it's 6month night and 6 month morning

Answer 8

Incidentally, it is also dark all day in the winter in my country: Norway. Or at least; at the north of it; i.e. north of the polar circle. On the other hand we also have the midnight sun in the summer. For the few fays the summer is nice, you hardly see anyone sleeping.

Answer 9

Well, only in the winter time.... and, it's because the Earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees - when it's winter in the northern hemisphere, it's summer in the southern hemisphere - the north pole is in continuous shadow, while the south pole is in continuous sunlight.  

Answer 10

The earth tilts back and forth on its axis.  When the earth tilts on its axis to its winter position, the north pole is tilted completely away from the sun so it doesn't receive any sunlight.  When the earth tilts the other way (so, summer in the northern hemisphere) the north pole has constant daylight.