The period of white nights in St. Petersburg is especially fascinating and attracts tourists. When twilight envelops the city, at this time it literally comes to life. Everyone wants to enjoy this unusual natural phenomenon, and even then various cultural events are held. When there are white nights in St. Petersburg, what is it, why does it appear and how long does this magical time last?
White nights: what is it?
This is a phenomenon when the sun sets over the horizon for such a short period of time that it does not have time to completely darken. Evening twilight is gradually replaced by morning dawn. This summer season you can watch the extraordinary beauty of nature paintings. You can stroll through the crowded streets until the morning, contemplate the nightlife of the city, admire the ancient architecture, watch the ships passing along the banks of the Neva.
White nights are a real symbol of St. Petersburg. At this time, holding various entertainment programs and cultural events. St. Petersburg is a very beautiful city without it, but the streets, shaded by the twilight of mystery and riddles, illuminated by the rays of the almost no setting sun, produce a particularly attractive and amazing impression.
Why are there white nights in St. Petersburg?
This city is located at 60 parallel, which is six degrees away south from the location of the Arctic Circle. This is a conditional mark where a polar day comes in the summer. At this time, the sun hardly sets over the horizon. The reason for this phenomenon is the inclination of the axis of the Earth to the orbit. In summer, the Northern hemisphere of the Earth is tilted towards the Sun, which explains a very long day at the end of the first summer month in the northern latitudes. The sun, only having managed to hide behind the horizon, begins to leave again because of it. That is why there are white nights in St. Petersburg. And beyond the Arctic Circle there is a time when the sun does not set beyond the horizon at all!
The axis of the Earth has a slope, so different amounts of light fall on different sections: in winter, the North is almost not illuminated by the Sun, while in summer it receives a lot of light and heat. The period of white nights is called “civil twilight” in science - a period that covers the time from sunset over the horizon to the sun reaching several degrees of immersion under the horizon.
When to observe the phenomenon?
No one can give an unambiguous answer to the question of when white nights are in St. Petersburg. Some say that the first phenomenon can already be observed on May 25-27. And there is a rational grain in it: approximately at these numbers the beginning of the night does not have time to happen, since only light twilight can be seen, which gradually turn into the morning dawn.
Others argue that the first white night in St. Petersburg only comes on June 11th. This date is the official start when St. Petersburg has white nights.
We came to the unequivocal opinion that June 21-22 are the days when the night is the brightest: the sun hides behind the horizon only a few degrees, and the day lasts almost 19 hours. It is noteworthy that in this case the sun gives a sufficient amount of light in order to take good photos without using flash. During the white nights, you can clearly observe and capture the famous building of bridges over the Neva River and ships passing by. Photographs created during this magical time can convey an atmosphere of mystery and romance.
Officially, the last day of the white nights is the second of July, but, according to witnesses, this phenomenon can be admired until July 17.
Celebrations during this period
The tradition of celebrating white nights in St. Petersburg came from the time of its foundation by Peter I. Now the festivities begin on May 27th. This holiday is eagerly awaited by all residents of St. Petersburg, as it is then that they hold mass festivities, host various exhibitions, concerts and festivals.
