Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
rora. During periods of high activity, a single auroral storm can produce a trillion watts of
electricity with a current of 1 million amps.
MIDNIGHT SUN & POLAR NIGHT
Because the Earth is tilted on its axis, polar regions are constantly facing the sun at
their respective summer solstices and are tilted away from it in the winter. The Arctic
and Antarctic Circles, at 66° 33' north and south latitude respectively, are the south-
ern and northern limits of constant daylight on their longest day of the year.
The northern half of mainland Norway, as well as Svalbard and Jan Mayen Island,
lie north of the Arctic Circle but, even in southern Norway, the summer sun is never
far below the horizon. Between late May and mid-August, nowhere in the country
experiences true darkness and in Trondheim, for example, the first stars aren't visible
until mid-August.
Conversely, winters here are dark, dreary and long, with only a few hours of twi-
light to break the long polar nights. In Svalbard, not even a twilight glow can be seen
for over a month. During this period of darkness, many people suffer from SAD syn-
drome, or 'seasonal affective disorder'. Its effects may be minimised by using special
solar-spectrum light bulbs for up to 45 minutes after waking up. Not surprisingly,
most northern communities make a ritual of welcoming the sun the first time it peeks
above the southern horizon.
TOWN/
AREA
LATITUDE
MIDNIGHT
POLAR
NIGHT
SUN
Bodø
67° 18'
4 Jun-8 Jul
15 Dec-28 Dec
Svolvær
68° 15'
28 May-14 Jul
5 Dec-7 Jan
Narvik
68° 26'
27 May-15 Jul
4 Dec- 8 Jan
Tromsø
69° 42'
20 May-22 Jul
25 Nov-17 Jan
Alta
70° 00'
16 May-26 Jul
24 Nov-18 Jan
Hammerfest
70° 40'
16 May-27 Jul
21 Nov-21 Jan
Nordkapp
71° 11'
13 May-29 Jul
18 Nov-24 Jan
Longyearbyen
78° 12'
20 Apr-21 Aug
26 Oct-16 Feb
