Introduction

This book is about Arctic Lights. Light that changes from polar night to polar day, the beautiful Aurora, white and bright surfaces, diffuse scattered light and pastel colours, arctic haze, polar stratospheric clouds and mysterious red winter light. The physical conditions in the Arctic with low sun, snow covered surfaces, the structure of the earth’s magnetic field and the composition of the atmosphere, produce unique light phenomena that cannot be seen at lower latitudes. At the same time the northern part of Norway is the «mild country of the northern lights», due to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.

These Arctic Lights have a significant influence on people and animals. Large variation in daylight and darkness influence people’s minds and the activity patterns of arctic animals. The Aurora has inspired Greek philosophers and early northern literature. The secrets and beauty of the Arctic Lights fascinate and draw us to the north, for scientific exploration of the polar environment and for artistic inspiration. The Aurora is today an international tourist attraction in the north.

The Aurora, or «polar light», is a universal phenomenon that also exists on other planets having a magnetic field and an atmosphere. On earth, the auroral signatures have probably changed a lot over thousands of years with the changing atmospheric composition and the changing strength and direction of the earth magnetic field. The auroral patterns also vary with the activity of the sun, as a result of the interaction of the solar wind and the earth’s atmosphere. In the north, the green colours are found in the sky in the magnificent auroral night play, while the surfaces are bright and snow covered and reflect almost all radiation from a low sun. At more southern latitudes the surfaces are vegetated and green, absorbing almost all solar radiation. The light in the south creates dark red sunsets, short blue evenings and long black nights. The Arctic, however, is painted in pastel colours by white and bright surfaces giving long light-blue evening hours and light-red sunsets.

The authors of this book present stories from northern mythology to modern research. Asgeir Brekke describes the northern lights with its old myths, early writings, scientific history and aspects of modern research. The Aurora has also inspired poets, writers, painters and other artists. Jon Børre Ørbæk writes about the blue light in the Arctic, the variation in arctic light from polar day to polar night and the bright reflecting surfaces that characterize the intense Arctic Lights, claiming that there is more visible light in the Arctic compared to more southern latitudes. Fred Sigernes presents a rare phenomenon of red winter light that can light up the landscape in the middle of the polar night. The arctic atmosphere also creates special light phenomena connected to diffuse scattered light, which Lars Robert Hole deals with in his article. The effect of arctic light on people is discussed by Vidje Hansen, indicating that the lack of light during winter is not a big problem for people living in the north. One good reason to be happy and active during winter is given by the photographer Bjørn Jørgensen, providing many good tips for those who would like to try auroral photography. Some of his pictures are also used in this book. Olaf Storø, Rudolf Jon Overå and Kåre Tveter also give their valuable contribution to the book showing that the Arctic Lights may also inspire great art.

Arctic Lights give us experiences of eternal moments. Artists write or paint the light. Tourists catch the eternity through photography or film. Today the northern lights may be found on thousands of postcards or paintings that you are encouraged to buy. Scientists are inspired by how the natural processes influence the light environment in the Arctic, or how the Arctic Light itself influence the harsh life conditions there. We see the pristine and eternal scenes and do not so easily think about the large changes that already influence the arctic environment at high speed. The Arctic Lights will slowly become more red, dark and less blue. Climate warming, long range transported pollutants and an increased number of dust particles in the polar atmosphere give more diffuse light, more red sunsets and more polar stratospheric clouds. The arctic snow and ice cover are under pressure and its reduction will indeed make the Arctic darker. Even the strength and position of the aurora varies with the 11 year solar cycle as well as with the changing earth magnetic field, though very slowly on geological time scales. However, the beauty of the seasonal transitions during spring and autumn in the Arctic, and the magnificent northern lights, will certainly still for many thousand years give us moments of eternity, until the next ice age.

All authors and artists contributing to this book are deeply acknowledged, as are the many people contributing with photos, illustrations, evaluation and editing work.


Jon Børre Ørbæk and Asgeir Brekke
Issue editors