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Midnight Sun
In Tromsø, Norway, the phenomena of the Midnight Sun and Polar Night occur due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis and its orbit around the sun. During the summer months, the North Pole tilts toward the sun, resulting in continuous daylight above the Arctic Circle for several weeks, including in Tromsø. Conversely, in winter, the North Pole tilts away from the sun, causing the Polar Night, when the sun remains below the horizon for an extended period, plunging Tromsø into darkness.
Tromsø is a small island, roughly the size of Manhattan, with a population of about 70,000, making it the second-most populated city north of the Arctic Circle. The island offers all essential amenities—a mall, three main shopping streets, and a few movie theaters—yet little more, giving it the charm of a quiet suburb rather than a bustling city. Surrounded by majestic mountains and fjords, Tromsø also retains a sense of isolation and untamed wilderness.
Reasons behinds This phenomena
Situated over 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Tromsø, Norway, experiences extreme seasonal variations in daylight. During the Polar Night (November to January), the sun does not rise at all. Gradually, the days lengthen until the Midnight Sun period (May to July), when the sun remains above the horizon continuously. After this, daylight hours gradually shorten again, leading back to the Polar Night, completing the annual cycle.
In Norway, the Polar Night typically lasts from November to January, depending on the location. In Tromsø, for example, the sun does not rise at all throughout this period. In towns further south, such as Ålesund, the Polar Night is much shorter, lasting only a fraction of that time.
The phenomena of the Midnight Sun and Polar Night are direct results of the Earth’s position relative to the Sun. If the Earth were perfectly perpendicular, every location would receive exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness each day. However, this is not the case because the Earth is tilted at approximately 23.5 degrees on its axis.
This tilt means that at any given time, one end of the Earth points toward the Sun while the opposite end points away from it. Although the Earth rotates on its axis and completes a revolution every 24 hours, most regions still receive a relatively balanced amount of sunlight throughout the year. However, as you move farther from the Equator, the balance of daylight and darkness becomes increasingly unequal, leading to phenomena like the Midnight Sun and Polar Night.
How To Reach Tromsø, Norway
The most common way to reach Tromsø, Norway, is by flying into Tromsø Airport, Langnes (TOS). While driving or taking a bus is possible, flying remains the most convenient and efficient option, particularly for travelers coming from outside Norway.
