The
midnight sun (also known as
the black sun) is a
natural phenomenonA natural phenomenon is a non-artificial event in the physical sense, and therefore not produced by humans, although it may affect humans Common examples of natural phenomena include volcanic eruptions, weather, and decay...
occurring in summer months at
latitudeLatitude, usually denoted by the Greek letter phi gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. Lines of Latitude are the imaginary horizontal lines shown running east-to-west on maps that run either north or south of the equator...
s north and nearby to the south of the
Arctic CircleThe Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. In , it is the parallel of latitude that runs approximately 66° 33′ 39″ north of the Equator. The region north of this circle is known as the Arctic, and the zone just to the south is called the Northern...
, and south and nearby to the north of the
Antarctic CircleThe Antarctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. As of , it lies at latitude 66° 33′ 39″ south of the equator. The area south of the Antarctic Circle is known as the Antarctic, and the zone immediately to the north is called the Southern Temperate Zone...
where the
sunThe Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and other matter orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 99.86% of the Solar System's mass....
remains visible at the local midnight. Given fair weather, the sun is visible for a continuous 24 hours, mostly north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle. The number of days per year with potential midnight sun increases the farther poleward one goes.
There are no permanent human settlements south of the Antarctic Circle, so the countries and territories whose populations experience it are limited to the ones crossed by the Arctic Circle, i.e.
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, United States of America (
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
),
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
(
GreenlandGreenland is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago...
),
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and extremities of
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
. A quarter of
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
's territory lies north of the
Arctic CircleThe Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. In , it is the parallel of latitude that runs approximately 66° 33′ 39″ north of the Equator. The region north of this circle is known as the Arctic, and the zone just to the south is called the Northern...
and at the country's northernmost point the sun does not set for 73 days during summer. In
SvalbardSvalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. It consists of a group of islands ranging from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude. The archipelago is the northernmost part of Norway. Three...
, Norway, the northernmost inhabited region of Europe, there is no sunset from approximately 19 April to 23 August. The extreme sites are the poles where the sun can be continuously visible for a half year.
The opposite phenomenon,
polar nightThe polar night occurs when the night lasts for more than 24 hours. This only occurs inside the polar circles. The opposite phenomenon, when the sun stays above the horizon for a long time is called the polar day, or midnight sun....
, occurs in winter when the sun stays below the
horizonThe horizon is the apparent line that separates earth from sky.It is the line that divides all visible directions into two categories: those that intersect the Earth's surface, and those that do not...
throughout the day.
Since the Earth's axis is tilted with respect to the
eclipticThe ecliptic is the apparent path that the Sun traces out in the sky during the year, appearing to move eastwards on an imaginary spherical surface, the celestial sphere, relative to the fixed stars. More accurately, it is the intersection of the celestial sphere with the ecliptic plane, which is...
by approximately 23 degrees 27 minutes, the sun does not set at high latitudes in (local) summer. The duration of the midnight sun increases from one day during the summer
solsticeA solstice is an astronomical event that happens twice each year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most inclined toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun's apparent position in the sky to reach its northernmost or southernmost extreme...
at the
polar circleA polar circle is either the Arctic Circle or the Antarctic Circle. On Earth, the Arctic Circle is located at a latitude of 66˚ 33' 38" N, and the Antarctic Circle is located at a latitude of 66˚ 33' 38" S...
to approximately six months at the poles. At extreme latitudes, it is usually referred to as
polar day. The length of the time the sun is above the horizon varies from 20 hours at the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle to 186 days at the
polesA geographical pole is either of the two points—the north pole and the south pole—on the surface of a rotating planet where the axis of rotation meets the surface of the body...
.
At the poles themselves, the sun only rises once and sets once, each year. During the six months when the sun is above the horizon at the poles, the sun spends the days constantly moving around the horizon, reaching its highest circuit of the sky at the summer solstice.
Due to refraction, the midnight sun may be experienced at latitudes slightly below the polar circle, though not exceeding one degree (depending on local conditions). For example, it is possible to experience the midnight sun in Iceland, even though most of it (
GrímseyGrímsey is a small island north of Iceland, situated directly on the Arctic Circle. The island constitutes the hreppur Grímseyjarhreppur, which is part of the county Eyjafjarðarsýsla...
being a notable exception) is slightly south of the Arctic Circle. Even the northern extremities of
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(and those places on similar latitudes) experience a permanent "dusk" or glare in the northern skies at these times.
White Nights
Locations above 60 degrees latitude that are south of the Arctic Circle or north of the Antarctic Circle experience midnight
twilightTwilight is the time between dawn and sunrise, and the time between sunset and dusk. Sunlight scattered in the upper atmosphere illuminates the lower atmosphere, and the surface of the Earth is neither completely lit nor completely dark. The sun itself is not actually visible because it is below...
instead. The sun is at the horizon to 6 degrees below the horizon, so that daytime activities, such as reading, are still possible without artificial light, on the condition it is not cloudy.
White Nights have become a common symbol of
Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
, Russia, where they occur from about 11 June to 2 July, and the last 10 days of June are celebrated with cultural events.
When to see the midnight sun
According to
Visit Norway the midnight sun is visible at the
Arctic CircleThe Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. In , it is the parallel of latitude that runs approximately 66° 33′ 39″ north of the Equator. The region north of this circle is known as the Arctic, and the zone just to the south is called the Northern...
from June 12 until July 1. The further north you get the longer this period extends.
At
North Cape, NorwayNorth Cape is a cape on the island of Magerøya in northern Norway, in the municipality of Nordkapp. Its 307 m high, steep cliff is often referred to as the northernmost point of Europe, located at , 2102.3 km from the North Pole. However, the neighbouring point Knivskjellodden is actually 1,457...
, known as the northernmost point of
Continental EuropeContinental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands and, at times, peninsulas. Notably, in British and Irish English usage, the term means Europe excluding the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, the Channel...
this period extends approximately from May 14 to July 29. On the
SvalbardSvalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. It consists of a group of islands ranging from 74° to 81° north latitude, and from 10° to 35° east longitude. The archipelago is the northernmost part of Norway. Three...
archipelago further north this period extends from April 20 to August 22.
Effect on people
Many find it difficult to fall asleep during the night when the sun is shining. In general, visitors and newcomers are most affected. Some natives are also affected, but in general to a lesser degree. The effect of the midnight sun, that is, not experiencing night for long durations of time is said to cause
hypomaniaHypomania is a mood state characterized by persistent and pervasive elevated or irritable mood, and thoughts and behaviors that are consistent with such a mood state. An unequivocal change in functioning that is uncharacteristic when asymptomatic...
, which is characterized by persistent and pervasive elevated or irritable mood.
The midnight sun also poses special challenges to religious people such as Jewish people who have religious rites based around the 24 hour day/night cycle. In the Jewish community this has given rise to a body of
Jewish law in the polar regionsThe observance of Jewish law in the polar regions of Earth presents unique problems. Many mitzvot, such as Jewish prayer and the Jewish sabbath, rely on the consistent cycle of day and night in 24-hour periods that is commonplace in most of the world...
, which attempts to deal with the special challenges of adhering to the
MitzvahThis article is about commandments in Judaism. For the Jewish rite of passage, see Bar Mitzvah and Bat MitzvahMitzvah is a word used in Judaism to refer to the 613 commandments given in the Torah and the seven rabbinic commandments instituted later for a total of 620...
in such conditions.
Midnight sun in fiction
- In the film Insomnia
Insomnia is a 1997 Norwegian film about a police detective investigating a murder in a town located above the Arctic Circle. The detective arrives in the summer, during the midnight sun, and has insomnia. It was the film debut of director Erik Skjoldbjærg...
and its American remakeInsomnia is a 2002 American remake of the 1997 Erik Skjoldbjærg film of the same name. The film was directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank.-Plot:...
, the protagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, video game, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to share the most empathy...
suffers from insomnia partially brought on by midnight sun while investigating a murder north of the Arctic Circle (Norway in the original, and Alaska in the remake).
- Midnight Sun is also the title of an unreleased, uncompleted vampire novel in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer is an American author, known for her vampire romance series Twilight. The Twilight novels have gained worldwide recognition, won multiple literary awards and sold over 70 million copies worldwide, with translations into 37 different languages around the globe...
.
- The Midnight Sun
"The Midnight Sun" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Opening narration:Mrs. Bronson mentions what she's heard on the radio, and shudders, "And that's why we're....we're-"-Synopsis:...
is an episode of The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
, however the midnight sun is caused by Earth's collision course towards the sun.
- Midnight Sun is a secret organization in the Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch.
Midnight sun in music
- Midnight Sun is the last track on the 1998 album Better Than Raw
Better Than Raw is the eighth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1998. The album contains two singles, which are "I Can" and "Hey Lord!"....
by the German power metal band HelloweenHelloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band is known as one of the pioneering power metal bands, being part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene .- Walls of Jericho :...
.
- Midnight Sun is a hidden track on the 1999 album Black Sails In The Sunset
Black Sails in the Sunset is the fourth album by American rock band AFI. This is the first full-length album with Jade Puget as a full time member of the band.-Track listing:...
by the American band AFIAFI may refer to:*AFI , an American rock band**AFI , an album by AFI released in 2004*Air Force Instruction, documented instructions for members of the United States Air Force...
.
- Midnight Sun is in the lyrics of a Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known by the stage name Beck...
song titled "Qué Onda Guero" from the album GueroGuero is the sixth major-label studio album by Beck, first released in March 2005. It debuted on Billboard's Top 200 Album chart at #2 , and in the UK at #15 . To date, this is Beck's highest charting CD...
.
- Midnight Sun is the tenth track on the album Medazzaland
Medazzaland is the ninth album by British pop rock group Duran Duran. It was released by Capitol Records on in the U.S., where it reached #58 on the Billboard album chart. It was never officially released in Europe....
by the UK band Duran DuranDuran Duran are an English rock band from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. Since the 1980s they have placed 14 in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart and 21 in the...
.
- Midnight Sun is in the lyrics of The Killers song titled "Dustland Fairytale". The line says, Is there still magic in the midnight sun, or did you leave it back in '61?
- Midnight Sun is in the lyrics of a Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
song titled "She's The One" from the album Born To Run. "With her long hair falling / And her eyes that shine like a midnight sun / Oh she's the one."
- Midnight Sun is also in the lyrics of Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands, helping to pioneer the genre...
's song Immigrant Song"Immigrant Song" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released as a single from their third album, Led Zeppelin III, in 1970.-Overview:...
. The song was inspired by the band's 1970 tour of IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
.
- Journey
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California with former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases, but its strongest commercial success came in the late 1970s to the early 1980s...
's 1983 song "Faithfully"Faithfully" is a popular song and power ballad by the band Journey, and the second single from their album Frontiers. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the band their second consecutive top twenty hit from Frontiers. The music and lyrics were written by keyboardist Jonathan Cain...
" opens with the lyrics "Highway run/Into the midnight sun"
- Midnight Sun is in the lyrics of Poison's song "Ride The Wind" from the album "Flesh & Blood". "Ride the wind / Never coming back until I touch the midnight sun".
- Midnight Sun is a jazz standard with music by Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton , was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
and Sonny BurkeSonny Burke was a big band leader. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke Ambassadors....
and lyrics by Johnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American songwriter and singer. As a songwriter, he is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
.
- Midnight Sun is in the lyrics of Warren Zevon
Zevon redirects here. For his son Jordan, see Jordan ZevonWarren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his strange, sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical...
's Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner"Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" is a song composed by Warren Zevon and David Lindell and performed by Zevon. It was first released on Zevon's 1978 album Excitable Boy. It is the last song he ever performed in front of an audience, on the Late Show with David Letterman, before his death in...
"Roland was a warrior from the land of the midnight sun."
- Midnight Sun is the name of the eighth track off the album Crossing the Rubicon by Swedish
Swedes are a Scandinavian people, mostly inhabiting Sweden and the other Nordic countries, with descendants living in a number of countries....
new waveNew Wave is a genre of rock and pop music that emerged in in the middle to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, and...
band The SoundsThe Sounds are a Swedish New Wave band founded in 1999 in Helsingborg. Their musical style is New Wave. Most songs make integrated use of synthesizers...
.
- Midnight Sun is in the lyrics of Nights of Love by Papa Roach on their album Metamorphosis 'Dancing with the Devil in the Midnight Sun."
- Midnight Sunrise is a song by the Finnish
Finnish refers to something or someone from, or related to, Finland, such as:* Culture of Finland* Finnish people, the primary ethnic group in Finland* The Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people* Finnish cuisine...
folk metalFolk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music. This includes the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles.The earliest...
band TurisasTurisas are a Finnish folk metal band from Hämeenlinna. They were founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström and named after an ancient Finnish God of war....
, on the album Battle Metal in 2004. The album was released on Century Media.
See also
- Eagle Summit
Eagle Summit is a -tall gap through the White Mountains of central Alaska. Its high-latitude location means that it is one of a handful of places on Earth where the sun can be seen at midnight by an observer standing south of the Arctic Circle and north of the Antarctic Circle...
, which experiences midnight sun despite being south of the Arctic Circle.
- Land of the Midnight Sun
The Land of the Midnight Sun is used to refer to many northern regions in the world above the Arctic Circle including:*Norway*Sweden*Finland*Russia*Iceland*The northern regions of Canada, including the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut*Greenland...
- Polar night
The polar night occurs when the night lasts for more than 24 hours. This only occurs inside the polar circles. The opposite phenomenon, when the sun stays above the horizon for a long time is called the polar day, or midnight sun....
- The opposite phenomenon experienced in winter: A day without sunrise.
External links