Lapland -
In Your Heart

Lapland Light Is Fascinating

Land of Contrasts and Light

The Lapland light or the Arctic light is often the reason why Lapland is called The Land of Contrasts. The enormous variations in lighting conditions through the seasons of the year, is of course one of the reasons for this.

Did you, by the way, know that Lapland and the Arctic region on an average have more light than for instance regions near the equator? Thus the Lapland light makes the area a realm of light. And because of hours of twilight even the shortest day is not totally dark

Watching the midnight sun at 1 a.m.

As we move through the year, the Lapland light is in constant change. As winter changes to spring, the spring light changes everything around you.

We who live here are delighted that another dark season is over and we look forward to the white nights of spring and summer.

The German couple in the picture is watching the midnight sun near the North Cape on the Arctic coast at around 1 a.m. You can see behind them the shadows that the sun is casting. The Lapland light is a tremendous experience.

The long white nights even urge many kinds of birds to migrate to these northern areas where they have more working hours than anywhere else in the world to bring forth the next generation.

In the dark winter a mystical light - the aurora borealis - dances across the sky. The Lapland light makes Lapland the realm of light. During the summer months the sun never sets.

Many artists (for example writers, musicians, painters, photographers) have been inpired by the beautiful colours and movements of the Aurora.

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The Aurora Borealis or the Norhtern Light - Nature's Own Firework

What is the Aurora Borealis?

The aurora has its own mystique

The Aurora or the Northern Light has an hypnotic effect. She takes countless shapes and forms and colours. She appears during late autumn and winter nights, especially when temperatures are low and way below zero Centigrades. -----
(Photo courtesy: Allthingsarctic)

Many people are attracted by the mystique of the Lapland light. The Aurora is often compared to a light organ. Today we can explain the aurora, but still she has an aura of the mystique.

Read more about the aurora borealis here.

Northern light photography

You may want to take your own pictures of the northern light. Here are some basic Northern light photography tips that we have prepared.

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The Midnight Sun and the white nights

What about fishing or playing golf at one o'clock in the morning?

The further north you go in Lapland, the longer the white night period. At the Arctic Circle you can see the midnight sun for nearly a month. But when you go up to the North Cape, you can experience it for about two and a half months - from middle of May till end of July.

We who have lived all our lives (so far) with the Lapland light and the Midnight Sun, have come to love it more and more. We know that from summer trips to lower latitudes. When the dark summer nights come, we long for the white nights we know are in the north. Young Finnish couple watching the Midsummer eve fire in Lapland light

Some people say the white nights make the biological clocks really go scrambling and make them ungovernable. From the middle of May to the end of July the sun never sets. The Arctic light is a peculiar phenomenon.

The midnight sun is in the southern hemisphere as well, but not in any populated areas. You can see the midnight sun south of the Antarctic Circle. But then you'll have to go to the Antarctic itself.

Thus, the only countries and territories whose populations experience it, are limited to the ones living north of the Arctic Circle, i.e. Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia and extremities of Iceland.

The length of the time when the sun is above the horizon varies from about a month at the Arctic Circle and Antarctic Circle to 186 days at the poles.

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The Long Winter Nights - the Season of the Blue Light

Lapland is famous for its blue Lapland light The Lapland light also means long nights in winter when the sun stays below the horizon throughout the day. It is a common misconception that the shortest day is totally dark. Because of twilight which lasts for weeks in fall and in spring the days are never totally dark. The region is renowned for its blue Lapland light and twilight

At 70 degrees north the sun is away from middle of November till around 25th of January. The effect of snow is that the refraction increases. The result is that it gets a lot lighter than without snow.

During the twilight the brightest stars appear, as well as some planets. Venus is known as the 'morning star' and/or 'evening star'. During this period there is enough light to carry on outdoor activities without artificial light sources.

Lapland Nacre clouds
And of course the dark season is a very good time for indoor activities and for social life. If you can't work or sport outside in the winter darkness, this is a nice time to see the neighbours and friends.

And sometimes during the dark season the nacre clouds (picture to the left) are just beyond describing by words. But the real thing is some times even better than what the photographic lens can convey.

Lapland Blog

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We hope this is useful for you.


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