THE NORTHERN LIGHTS AND THE MIDNIGHT SUN

THE NORTHERN LIGHTS AND THE BLUE SEASON
From November to January, the sun never rises above the horizon in Finnmark - Norwegian Lapland. But even during this dark season, there are a couple of hours of twilight which can be incredibly beautiful. We call this the blue light.

During the autumn and winter, when the skies are clear, you can experience the fantastic Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. The sight of the Northern Lights dancing across the skies in hues of green, pink and purple will stay with you for ever!

    
Photo: Terje Rakke          Photo: Christian Houge     Photo: Finnmark Reiseliv

The Northern Lights are connected to the Polar regions, and you have a good chance of spotting this breathtaking phenomenon in Norwegian Lapland on the top of Norway. The best period for observing the Northern Lights is from October to April. The world’s first Northern Lights observatory was built in 1899 on Halddetoppen, 904 metres above sea level, in Alta.

The Northern Lights have long had mystical connections, particularly in days of old when no one knew what they were. Some believed the Northern Lights to be a warning of punishment or an admonition to be law abiding citizens. Others believed that the Northern Lights were a warning of war or the plague. The Sami believed that the Northern Lights were souls of those passed on, waving down to earth while others believed them to be old maids dancing in the skies.

The Northern Lights are caused by vast volumes of electric particles (electrons) speeding towards the earth along the magnetic field and colliding with the upper strata of the atmosphere. On collision, these gases light up and the colours reflect those gases present in the atmosphere.

If you would like to learn more about the Northern Lights, visit the web site
www.northern-lights.no


THE MIDNIGHT SUN
From May to July, you can experience the midnight sun north of the Polar Circle. The definition of midnight sun is that the sun does not set below the horizon during this period.

For the local inhabitants in Finnmark Norwegian Lapland, this season is like an energy boost, a time when you have normal daylight in the middle of the night. This is a time when you can go fishing in the middle of the night instead of wasting the wonderful light sleeping!  



   
North Cape                        Porsanger                         North Cape
Photo: Finnmark                Photo: Finnmark              Photo: Finnmark
Reiseliv AS                        Reiseliv AS                      Reiseliv AS         


MIDNIGHT SUN/ BLUE SEASON

PLACE          MIDNIGHT SUN        BLUE SEASON
North Cape     11 may – 31 july           18 november – 24 january
Hammerfest    13 may – 28 july           20 november – 21 january
Vardø              14 may – 27 july           21 november – 21 january
Alta                 16 may – 26 july           23 november – 19 January