... SUNRISE * SUNSET ...

Friday, October 10, 2008 ~ SUNRISE * SUNSET ~ I just wanted to share some beautiful photos of the some of the sunrises and sunsets that we have in Alaska. The colors can take your breath away. These photos are just a taste of the true beauty. Even though we experience a lot darkness days in the winter, we do have a few hours of daylight in the area that we live, but the sunrise and sunsets more then make up for the dimly lit day-time hours. A Sight to Wake-Up To Photo by Mike Kingston In some areas of Alaska...  like Barrow, the sun goes down around the 18th of November and they won't see it again until near the end of January, no sun whatsoever. It has that dark twilight effect a few hours a day while the sun is just below the horizon. Then near the end of January, the days start getting longer about 9 minutes a day, till they end up with 24 hours of sunlight in the summer months. In the Interior of Alaska where I live, during the middle winter months the days are dark until around 10-10:30 in the morning and then are dark again by 3:00-3:30 in the afternoon, so our school children get on the bus in the dark in the morning, and get off the bus in the dark after school.The funny thing is even though that is 5 hours of daylight, the lighting is actually similar to the twilight lighting just before sun-up or sun-down. It does not start to get brighter until around the end of January as the days start growing longer again. A  Rare Winter Sight Sunlit Mountain Tops with the Moon Shining Photo by Mike Kingston Vitamin D is a well known deficiency in areas where the sunlight is hard to come by. There are several ways that Alaskans can keep getting the amounts of Vitamin D that our bodies need, and that is take a supplement and/or purchase and set up in your home the special full spectrum lighting that helps replace the missing sunlight that we need. Or as quite a few Alaskans do, leave Alaska during it's darker months and visit a nice sunny place. A Taste of Sunshine shining Through Frosty Trees Photo By Mike Kingston While researching Vitamin D and all it can do for us I found this interesting article. Here is an excerpt taken from: Vitamin D Council If one regularly avoids sunlight exposure, research indicates a necessity to supplement with at least 5,000 units (IU) of vitamin D daily.   To obtain this amount from milk one would need to consume 50 glasses.  With a multivitamin more  than 10 tablets would be necessary.   Neither is advisable.   The skin produces approximately 20,000 IU sun exposure—100 times more than the US government's recommendation  of 200 IU per day!  There are 3 ways for adults to insure adequate levels of vitamin D: · Regularly receive midday sun exposure in the late spring, summer, and early fall, exposing as much of the skin as possible. · Regularly use a sun bed (avoiding sunburn) during the colder months. · Take 5,000 IU per day for three months, then obtain a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. Adjust your dosage so that blood levels are between 50–80 ng/mL (or 125–200 nM/L) year around. Breathtaking Ending to a Winter's Day Photo by Mike Kingston So In the meantime, as the extremely ultra busy summer and fall days wind down, I start dosing up on my vitamin D and other vitamins daily, I try not to think of the literally "dark days" ahead. Most Alaskans are use to the routine and we find things to do to occupy the long winter days, since it seems to be the time to rest up, catch up on some reading, and other indoor things  that need to be done. We tend to dwell on the thoughts of spring, and yet we find joy in  the beautiful, dark, and frosty days ahead.. See also:  When Darkness Prevails Later... K Fields Digg This Please Hey! Please Stumble It! Add to Technorati Favorites Please Rate at Blogged! Mixx it Please! Engage This Please Kudo Me!

Return to:  Arcticulates' Home Archives Author's Profile:  K. Fields Alaska, USA I live in Northern Alaska! Hence the unique spelling of my blog title. I love Alaska! It can be a challenging place to live,  but, the beauty that surrounds me makes it  all worth while. This blog/website is my opinion  or views on what  I hear,  or see, on just about anything! Mixed with some genuine facts! You can have all new posts sent directly to your email or favorite RSS feeder.  Just click on Arcticulates' Feed, for this free service and Thank-you! Arcticulates' Feed Recent Posts! Icy Creations Icy Designs Christmas in North Pole Car... Moose... Calamity... Bunch of Bull! Most Popular Posts! Grizzly Situation! Glimpse of Autumn! High One or Not!     Other Areas! Cooking in Alaska Reviews Links / Blogroll  Alaska Jokes Arcticulates' Disclosure Policy Dwight's Photo Prices Prints of Original Photos are available for Purchase! Please Contact: Arcticulates