Antarctica: Land of the Midnight Sun

"The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he ariseth" (Ecclesiastes, 1:5). The daily path of the sun in the sky is so ingrained that "as sure as the sun rises" is used to express complete certainty. Imagine when this doesn't hold true.

What is it like when the sun doesn't set?

Humans evolved for a normal day/night cycle. We sleep best in the dark when our body secretes melatonin, waking most easily after light hits our eyelids. 24/7 sunlight interferes with our circadian rhythm, making us tired, distracted and irritable.

24 hour sunlight does have advantages, however. Even if you get off work late, you can take a long hike and come back at 3 AM without a flashlight. Use a blackout curtain and you will still sleep deeply and well.

Before going to Antarctica I never considered what it would look like having neither sunset nor sunrise for weeks and months. It is nearly common knowledge now that near the poles the longest "day", defined as the time between sunrise and sunset, is months-long.

Subconsciously you may expect something out of the bible - "stand still, O sun, over Givon... and the sun stood still halfway across the sky and did not hurry" (Yehoshua, 10:12-13). In that biblical passage the sun was said to stop high overhead, allowing Joshua to complete his rout of the Emorite kings attacking the city of Givon.

Actually, during the Antarctic summer, the sun does not stop overhead. Instead, it appears to go round and round through the 24 hour cycle. At noon it is highest, though still relatively low, above the northern horizon. At midnight the sun appears low in the southern sky.

The slight difference in sun angle is still enough to make a difference in temperatures. At McMurdo Station, located on Ross Island, at 78 degrees south latitude the mean daily high temperature is 10F higher than the mean daily low (source: coolantarctica.com). You frequently find that water that froze during the "night" hours thaws and runs before noon.

A unique experience

Visiting the land of the midnight sun is a unique experience shared by few. Nowhere else on Earth can you see such direct evidence of our planet's rotation so readily. Whether on an Arctic or Antarctic cruise, or working in Antarctica or in the far north, if you ever have the opportunity, don't forget to notice the sky.