Why do the poles experience about six months day and six months night?

The phenomenon of the poles experiencing about six months of continuous daylight followed by six months of continuous darkness is due to the axial tilt of Earth. Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees relative to its orbital plane. This axial tilt, combined with Earth’s orbit around the Sun, leads to the occurrence of polar day and polar night.

As Earth orbits the Sun, during one part of its orbit, a pole is tilted towards the Sun, resulting in the continuous daylight phase known as polar day. This occurs for about six months. Conversely, during the other part of its orbit, the pole is tilted away from the Sun, causing the continuous darkness phase known as polar night, which also lasts for about six months.

This phenomenon occurs because the Sun never rises above or sets below the horizon for an extended period during polar day, and conversely, it remains below the horizon throughout polar night. The exact duration of these periods varies slightly depending on the specific location near the poles, but the overall pattern remains consistent due to Earth’s axial tilt and its orbit around the Sun.