Annual cycle of light in the Northern Arctic
The Arctic is often described as a place of utter darkness or white snow in winter and of midnight sun during the summertime. In fact, there are few places on Earth where the sun displays so much variation in colour due to the low angle of the sun reflected on the mountains, snow and sky over long periods of time. North of the Arctic Circle the sun disappears during winter for days to months, depending upon latitude, leaving the sky in a palette of blues, greys, reds, oranges and purples. The moon, snow, angle of the sun and the northern lights add to this diversity. This image illustrate the length of the at day Holman, Northwest Territories in the Canadian Arctic (70°44'N - 117°43'W).
Year: 2005
From collection: Vital Arctic Graphics
Cartographer: Beatrice Collignon, Sorbonne University