Polar night is observed in the north of Russia, in Norway and other countries located in the extreme northern latitudes. This period stretches for several months, plunging the earth into complete darkness - the sun at this time does not rise at all. Then the long night gives way to an equally long day, during which the sun does not sit. Day falls on the summer period, and night falls on the winter. Local residents get used to such phenomena, and rarely ask questions about this, but among residents of more southern lands such phenomena are of great interest.

A lot of interesting things can be told about the polar night, both from the sphere of scientific research and based on ordinary observations.

Daylight Saving

Nature does not begin its transition to winter with the onset of cold weather, especially since in Siberia and Norway, located at the same latitudes, the climate is different. It is worth remembering that Europe is washed by the warm Gulf Stream, which provides a milder climate, completely different from the Siberian. The transition to the polar night begins at the latitudes of Siberia and Norway in August, during this period you can watch the sunset turning into the northern lights. This is a very beautiful phenomenon, scattering a lot of light rays, it will not be easy to describe it in words. Following him comes a white night, turning into a real one.

Interesting fact: the onset of the polar night and long day all summer is observed due to the presence of the Earth's tilt along the axis. Because of this, the polar regions and poles are alternately tilted to the Sun, then to the opposite side of it.

The northern night seems endlessly long because of the deep darkness that even the lanterns of artificial light in large cities cannot scatter. But the first appearance of the sun after 180 days of darkness becomes a very significant event for locals, in whose honor the holidays are held. After all, before this period, eternal darkness is broken only by twilight, which occurs around noon and soon passes. The light of twilight is very scarce, with it one can read a book with great difficulty, no more. But it is on polar nights that it is best to observe the northern lights.

Aurora borealis in the polar nights

The beauty of the aurora is indescribable, it is a bright and colorful picture that appears in the sky. The radiance shimmers with different colors, it may look like a light and bright curtain swaying in the wind. Colors can be any, quite often the phenomenon shines with all the colors of the rainbow, being filled with either green or crimson. Radiance is usually observed from late autumn to early spring, it is provoked by the so-called “solar winds”, streams of charged particles coming from the Sun, and falling on the planet’s magnetic field. The phenomenon occurs in the uppermost atmospheric layers, during the interaction of nitrogen with oxygen, and it can be observed even from space.

In the past, legends of many northern peoples testified that the radiance is the souls of people who have died or have not yet been born, or that it is a radiance from the halls of the gods. Someone was trying to predict the future from them or look for echoes of past events.But modern scientists have been able to explain in detail the true essence of this phenomenon.

Other interesting facts about the northern nights

• Aurora is usually observed from 6 pm to 1 am;
• It is best to observe it in a completely unlit area, away from the city or even on the high seas;
• In addition to the auroras, polar nights give rise to amazing mirages, which can often be seen at dusk. They appear under the condition of perfectly clean air and refraction of light on ice crystals, temperature inversions;
• A considerable part of the northern animals hibernates or pauses for a long night, while others have special adaptations for survival in the conditions of cold and darkness;
• But in the summer, plants, animals and birds have time to catch up for the unfavorable period, eating and multiplying at an active pace.

The polar night is observed not only in the north, but also in the southern hemisphere; it is the same for all the polar territories. It is inevitable due to the inclination of the earth's axis, and nature has perfectly adapted to such a feature of the planet.