Midnight Sun
Here in the far north, we have some exotic lighting effects. Around Midsummer in northern Finland, the sun does not set for several weeks. This may cause wakefulness, and a desire to stay out past your normal bedtime. In Utsjoki, for example, a single summer day lasts for over two months. Most people fall asleep long before the sun goes down.
Scientists say that the Northern Lights are caused by solar wind from solar storms colliding with the Earth's atmosphere. We think it is really Thor throwing thunderbolts at the Finnish epic hero Väinämöinen. Perhaps you will have your own explanation, but it is sure to be magical and mystical.
Midnight Sun
Imagine. You are sitting beside a lake and you reach for your book. It is almost midnight, but it is still broad daylight. Or you leave a Helsinki nightclub to find the sun has risen before you have had the chance to go to bed.
The Finnish summer is so exciting that the sun is reluctant to go to bed. You may feel the same way. Around Midsummer in northern Finland, the sun does not set for several weeks. In Utsjoki, for example, a single summer day lasts for over two months. Even in the south, the 'night' consists of a period of prolonged twilight rather than real darkness.
| District | Latitude | Midnight sun |
| Utsjoki | 69°52' | May 16 - July 27 |
| Ivalo | 68°40' | May 22 - July 21 |
| Sodankylä | 67°25' | May 29 - July 14 |
| Rovaniemi | 66°30' | June 6 - July 7 |
| Kuusamo | 65°59' | June 12 - June 30 |
| Kemi | 65°45' | June 18- June 24 |
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