Polar circle

Early in the morning, we cross the Arctic Circle, the border with the Land of the Midnight Sun. This invisible border circles the earth at 66° 33' north, marking the southernmost point at which the Midnight Sun shines 24 hours a day on Midsummer Night's Eve.

Solstice point

This occurs 23° 27' from the North Pole, due to the angle between the sun's orbit and the earth's orbit at the Equator. The earth's axis is tilted towards the sun. Scientists have calculated the exact dates of the solstice - 21 June and 21 December. You will be able to check the place for yourself. To the west, you can see Hestmannen Island. To the east, and at the point where the Svartisen glacier rises towards the sky, Mel Fjord cuts 30 km inland. A globe has been built on a small island - Vikingen - just west of the route, which is visible during the day. Even if you don't see the border, the captain will make sure that the occasion is a memorable event. From then on, you belong to the same family as 400,000 of Norway's citizens who, for centuries, have been members of the world's northernmost civilisation.

The sun reaches its lowest point on 22 December, and is on a tangent to the Arctic Circle. By the next day, it has already started to move, slowly but surely, northwards again. Throughout January, the sun will be above the horizon across all of northern Norway. However, even when the sun is not above the horizon, days are not in total darkness. Days are usually characterised by dusk and twilight, with a clear flicker of light spread across the sky. The mountains are covered in glistening white snow, the Northern Lights flood the scenery and the moon does its best to shine its brightest.

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