It sounds like something out of a fairytale, but lands of the midnight sun are a natural phenomenon and something everyone should experience at least once in their life.
A midnight sun shines in places that are close to either the North or South Pole, although the only countries to experience it are in the north as there are no permanent human settlements close enough to the South Pole.
The phenomenon occurs due to the tilt of the earth’s axis, meaning that the sun never sets during the summer months.
The duration of continuous sunlight depends on how close you are to the North Pole, with areas on the edge of the Arctic Circle getting just a couple of days of midnight sun, compared to the North Pole which gets as much as six months of endless sun.
It sometimes feels like we barely get any midday sun in this country, let alone midnight sun. So a trip to a land of the midnight sun is a must-see, but where can you see one of nature’s most majestic phenomena?
Canada
Canada’s vast landscape stretches into the Arctic Circle, so a midnight sun can be seen in territories such as Yukon, which borders Alaska, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Nunavut is the largest and northernmost territory, stretching up to Greenland and making up most of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
Norway
Norway is just one of several countries in Europe that experience midnight sun during the summer. In North Norway the sun is constant from late May until late July, with other areas south of the Arctic Circle experiencing up to 20 hours of daylight a day.
Finland
A quarter of Finland is within the Arctic Circle, meaning there is plenty of midnight sun to be found here, with the northernmost point experiencing around 73 days of non-stop sunlight.
With the summer fast approaching, many countries will be gearing up for plenty of daylight in the coming months. So, why not wrap up warm and experience it for yourself?
(Images: ArneEide, Yukon School of Visual Arts, Vberger, ranahki)
