Researchers described this surreal sight as bathing the landscape in stunning light.
Most people can experience the polar night firsthand in the Northern Hemisphere, in Norway, parts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Finland, Russia or Sweden. At the same time, Antarctica is the only land area in the Southern Hemisphere where the polar night can be observed, writes Space.
Unfortunately, most people on Earth may never see this spectacle. But don’t worry, researchers have detailed what it’s like to watch the polar night off the coast of Norway.
In Focus. Technologies emerged telegram channel. Subscribe to avoid missing the latest and most exciting news from the world of science!
What is polar night
Currently, during winter the sun does not rise above the horizon within the polar circles (Arctic and North). In the Northern Hemisphere, the polar night usually occurs from September to March, in the Southern Hemisphere – from March to September, depending on the time and date.
Do not forget that there is also a phenomenon opposite to the polar night – the “midnight sun”. On the contrary, the sun never sets during this event. Both of these events are caused by the Earth’s rotation around the Sun.
Our planet rotates on a tilted axis of 23.4 degrees, resulting in periods of the year when the polar circles are either completely blocked from the Sun (polar night) or constantly exposed to it (midnight sun).
Is the polar night always dark?
According to researchers, a common misconception is that pitch darkness occurs because the sun never rises. But this is not entirely true. For example, the polar night in Norway had periods of complete darkness, but most days were still not always dark: A soft blue light illuminated the sky for several hours each day.
Scientists note that since there is no direct sunlight at this time, the observed snapshots are due to sunlight refraction in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Belt of Venus
The “belt of Venus”, also known as the “anti-twilight belt”, is usually only visible before sunrise or after sunset, when the sun is below the horizon. This atmospheric phenomenon occurs when our planet blocks the sun’s rays and casts a shadow approximately 180 degrees from the horizon. Above the shadow – 10 to 20 degrees above the horizon – is the Belt of Venus.
The pink hue is known to occur when sunlight passes through the Earth’s atmosphere at a low angle, causing blue light with shorter wavelengths to be scattered while red light with longer wavelengths remains. When the reddening rays combine with the diffused blue light at the edge of the shadow, a pink hue is created.
By the way, the misty pink belt has nothing to do with the planet Venus. It is assumed that the name of the surprising phenomenon was inspired by the belt of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, the Roman equivalent of Venus.
Previously Focus He wrote that the regular change of seasons on Earth is unique: Do other planets have spring, summer, autumn and winter?
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.