Town in Perpetual Night Receives Ultimate Night Lights
In an attempt to lighten the Norwegian town’s mood about the forthcoming four months of night, Philips has launched a science experiment it calls “Wake Up the Town.” And anyone who's complained about the brief daylight hours in winter will want to know how it works. Extended nighttime is an annual occurrence for the residents of Longyearbyen, Norway -- Earth’s northernmost town. Located at 78 degrees north latitude in the Arctic circle, Longyearbyen experiences a phenomenon called Polar Night, in which the town remains in perpetual darkness for four months each winter. The town’s inhabitants may be accustomed to waking up in the dark, but the lack of daylight has a substantial impact on their daily life and health.
“When I moved up here, I thought I knew a lot about the dark period,” 62-year-old resident Constance Andersen told FoxNews.com. Originally from Holland, Andersen moved to Longyearbyen in 1999 after becoming entranced with the scenery and history of the island. She loves where she lives but told FoxNews.com that her experience with the Polar Night has been getting worse and worse each year. “I didn’t realize how hard it would actually be. The months we have ahead of us in Longyearbyen, it’s dark for the whole day and it really affects your life,” she said.
