White Nights chart. When the white nights begin

White Nights is an annual natural phenomenon observed in the northern latitudes, where St. Petersburg is located. The concept of "white nights" differs from the definition of "polar day", when the solar disk does not disappear beyond the horizon, but moves along its line.

In St. Petersburg, the sun goes below the horizon, but sinks beyond its line to an insignificant depth. This is a magical time when guests and residents of northern Palmyra observe a period of prolonged twilight that cannot turn into astronomical night for objective reasons.

When this natural phenomenon occurs

The onset of a long period of twilight occurs when a star called the Sun in areas that are located at latitudes that are above 60o, takes a position 12 degrees below the horizon line. This prevents the onset of a full night, which begins when the Sun is 18 degrees below the horizon.

The solar disk moves at high latitudes at a slow pace along a gentle trajectory. After midnight, the sun rises, preventing darkness from falling to the ground. The astronomical phenomenon lasts 9 weeks and is divided into three parts.

What are the stages of the white night

The onset of the twilight period occurs gradually. Civil twilight sets in after sunset. This is the period when it is light enough and not visible celestial bodies. This state of nature continues until the sun's disk is 6 degrees below the horizon.

Then comes the time, which is called nautical twilight. Then bright stars are visible, allowing sailors to determine the coordinates of the ship. When the Sun reaches a position 12º below the horizon and does not drop further, the time of astronomical twilight comes. The sky is illuminated by the sun's rays, but this does not prevent you from contemplating all the stars of the northern hemisphere.

When the whitest nights come

The annual onset of white nights made it possible to make observations that were reflected in the work of all city services. Experts distinguish:

• increase in the period of twilight;
• reduced time of darkness;
• peak with the maximum increase in daylight hours;
• decline when the onset of darkness at night increases.

Starting from May, Petersburgers observe how the daylight hours are rapidly lengthening and night time is shortening. If on May 1, street lights turn on at 21:30 and turn off at 4:15, then on May 26 street lights turn on at 22:45 and turn off at 3:00. This number is considered the beginning of the white night period, because the decrease in the dark period of time will rapidly decrease until June 11th. Lanterns at this time traditionally turn on at 23:15 and turn off at 2:30.

After June 20, the duration of the night will gradually begin to increase, but until July 10 it will be imperceptible to people present on the streets of the city. Tourists walking around St. Petersburg at night during the peak of the white nights hardly notice the moment when twilight thickens and turns into moments of darkness. This phenomenon is observed from the end of May and continues until mid-July.

The period of white nights will enter the last phase, when twilight thickens from 22:50. Dawn reminds of the beginning of a new day no earlier than 3:10, which happens from July 11th.

Petersburg at night is hospitable and attractive for tourists in summer. The length of the day, approaching 19 hours, is presented as a feature of Northern Venice, which gives a special romance to this city.

Starting from the last week of May, the city hosts international events. It:

• economic exhibitions;
• political meetings;
• music festivals;
• entertainment programs;
• themed holidays.

Numerous cultural events make it possible to fill summer days and entertain guests northern capital. At this magical time, the city's founding day is celebrated, in June there is a holiday where school graduates gather. This event gathers up to 3 million spectators and is considered the hallmark of the city. The culmination of the prom celebration is a pyrotechnic show that takes place over the Neva.

Hiking and boat trips over twilight St. Petersburg make people remember visiting the city with a special feeling. An astronomical phenomenon gives rise to extraordinary sensations when the consciousness realizes that the night has come, and it is light outside. In August, the period of white nights ends, and the night regains its rights.

How did they appear, and how to explain this phenomenon? Such amazing nights are found not only on the banks of the Neva, but also in many other parts of our planet. For most people, they are associated with something mystical, inexplicable, and now we will discuss all this.

What are white nights

Young children ask a lot of questions, and parents and teachers explain to them what certain concepts are. Any explanation is accompanied by the phrase: “Only this way and nothing else!” This forms in people the concept that during the day the sun shines and therefore it is light, and at night it becomes dark due to the appearance of the moon. This is the correct order of day and night, and we are used to it, but sometimes nature changes its rules. White nights are such non-standard "tricks" of hers.

The white nights of St. Petersburg are twilight that extends to the entire dark time of the day. Twilight, from the point of view of astronomy, is called the period when the sun is located at the shallowest depth below the horizon.

Why exactly St. Petersburg?

In most cases, white nights are associated with the great St. Petersburg. It should be noted that this is far from the only city in which one can observe such an excellent phenomenon, the creator of which is nature itself. The white nights of St. Petersburg are considered the most beautiful, although a similar phenomenon can be admired in Surgut, Murmansk or Arkhangelsk. However, only one of these cities was destined to become famous.

In order to admire this incredible spectacle, people from all over the world come to St. Petersburg. Even locals with tenderness and trembling await the onset of this event. This is not surprising, since the city is not only famous for its special nights. It is impossible to remain indifferent when you watch historical heritage, unsurpassed scenery, architecture and atmosphere. And if we add white nights to all this? That is why St. Petersburg is the city of white nights. Only he was awarded this honorary title.

When do these nights start and how long do they last?

In Russia it amazing phenomenon can be observed in different periods in different cities.

• St. Petersburg. White Nights - the period from approximately the end of May to the beginning of July. To be more precise, they usually start on June 11 and last until July 2.
• Arkhangelsk. Here the white nights come a little later, namely on May 13th. And they end at the end of July.
• Petrozavodsk. Here the nights are brighter and last longer.
• Vorkuta, Murmansk and Norilsk. Their common feature is polar days and nights.

Why do they arise?

Probably, many are interested in why the nights are white? How does this phenomenon occur? It happens because the sun is below the horizon at a shallow depth. This period is called twilight, and they have several gradations.

• Civil Twilight. At this time, the street is quite light, but the stars in the sky are not visible. They start right after sunset. They last until the luminary falls 6 degrees below the horizon.
• Navigational. When this twilight comes, you can admire the bright stars that are perfectly visible in the sky.
• Astronomical twilight. The celestial body must fall 12 degrees below the horizon, and then they will come.

The main reason for the appearance of white nights is latitude. At low latitudes, the above types of twilight change at such a speed that we do not notice it. A completely different situation occurs with high latitudes, where this beautiful natural phenomenon is observed.

The sun's rays illuminate the planet differently due to the inclination of the Earth to the plane of the orbit. The northern polar region during the summer solstice becomes more illuminated, and at a latitude above 65 degrees, the polar day begins at all. So it is customary to call the period when the heavenly body does not fall below the horizon.

Unforgettable moments

Petersburg white nights are accompanied by a number of cultural events. The scale and uniqueness of some of them is simply unique. Tourists, as well as the residents of the city, admire this breathtaking spectacle with pleasure and take part in recreational activities.

One of the events dedicated to the White Nights is considered to be the All-Russian Alumni Ball " Scarlet Sails". The first stage of the event takes place on land and in the daytime, and the second is held in the Neva. At night, you can watch this grand multimedia fireworks show.

Another unique event in the northern capital is music Festival, which bears the name of the time and place of its holding, namely the "White Nights of St. Petersburg". Stars of both domestic and global scale take part in it.

The most important event

The most important event that accompanies the white nights is the raising of bridges and the passage of motor ships along the Neva. It should be noted that this is a bewitching and very beautiful sight that cannot be missed during a night walk around St. Petersburg.

There is a certain schedule for bridges, so you can admire not only the beauty of the white nights.

As you can see, white nights are not only a fascinating natural phenomenon, but also a cultural value. Once you see the white nights of St. Petersburg, you will never be able to forget it. The unique beauty of the city and this amazing natural phenomenon were glorified by the great classics and painters, including such famous personalities as F. M. Dostoevsky and A. S. Pushkin. They sang the white nights in their works, which made the city famous all over the world. Be sure to visit the northern capital during the white nights and admire this spectacle.

Probably, every tourist who comes to St. Petersburg is concerned about the question of when the white nights begin and end. According to many sources, in 2019 this spectacle will "cover" the northern capital from June 11 to July 2. That is, it is worth coming to this segment.

But, as many believe (erroneously), that the white nights strictly last in this period of time. In reality, this is absolutely not the case. Therefore, let's look at this topic from a scientific and practical point of view.

• How long is daylight
• Let's summarize

What does the term "white nights" mean?

Strange, but many people confuse them with the polar day, during which the sun does not set below the horizon at all, but, in fact, “floats” along it. If you want to look at this phenomenon, then you should visit cities such as Usinsk, Naryan-Mar, Salekhard or Norilsk.

On white nights, the sun sets below the horizon. But, not far away - it falls only behind the line at a small angle. Therefore, it is not a day on the street, but constant twilight. Moreover, the closer you are to the horizon line, the brighter they are.

There is even a so-called division of twilight into “civilian” - the brightest, when no stars are visible in the sky, and “sea” - navigational, when you can see the main stars and you can navigate by them. In the first case, the sun goes below the horizon at an angle of 6 degrees, in the second - up to 12. Also, in the Capital, "civil" twilight lasts only 60 minutes.

So, it turns out that ordinary white nights are when "civil" twilight does not turn into "marine" twilight, but immediately becomes morning. At the same time, each object can be viewed at any time of the day or night without street lighting.

An important nuance! Twilight "from dusk to dawn" can only be observed at latitudes above 60°60′00″, and St. Petersburg is located at a latitude of 59°57′00″. That is, if we take this issue formally, then there are no “white nights” as such. Even at the brightest midnight of June 20-21.

But it's hard to notice, and here's why.

How long is daylight

Let's take the officer's reference table of the average length of daylight hours:

Attention should be paid to the fact that the period from May 21 to the end of July at a latitude of 64 degrees differs in that the day exceeds 19 hours, and only 5 hours “remain” for the whole night, including twilight.

St. Petersburg is located south of this latitude, and the period in which the day length is almost 19 hours will begin from the last week of May and end as early as mid-July.

And if given the short night (together with the time for twilight)? And remember that the city is always more well lit than natural places due to the work of lanterns and any other lighting devices?

Of course, a brief "real" darkness still occurs, but it is simply impossible to notice with the naked eye. You won’t be able to see the stars either, and you won’t be able to fall asleep with the curtains open either.

In reality, in the Northern capital it is most light at night starting from the end of May and ending in mid-July.

What will the city authorities and tour operators tell us?

With regards to the city government, they are closer to the "practical" point of view. For example, State Unitary Enterprise "LenSvet" is a company that annually approves the schedule for switching on lights in the city.

If you go to their official website www.lensvet.spb.ru and look at the lighting map for the current year, it becomes immediately clear when the white nights begin and end according to the “version” of LenSvet. These are the time periods when the streets are lit only until 3 am - from the end of May to the second week of July.

The federal authorities also agree that it is during this period that the city will be the most presentable for tourists and citizens. For example, the St. Petersburg Economic Forum was previously held in the second half of July (last time it took place from 06/01 to 06/03), and in 2019 the event is scheduled for May 24-26.

Well, everything is clear with travel companies and operators. Almost all packages for the "White Nights of St. Petersburg" for the end of May and mid-July have already been sold out. It is at this time that the city is visited by the largest number of tourists.

Let's summarize

So how long will the white nights of St. Petersburg last this year?

In the formal sense, they do not exist at all;
- As astronomers say, from 11.06 to 02.07;
- As practice shows, from about 25.05 to 15.07.

The best time to visit St. Petersburg is during the white nights. You can always find out in advance when they start in 2018, and carefully prepare for this event.

What to expect for tourists

Peter is an incredible place. Especially when after 22.00 darkness does not fall on the city. A kind of haze appears, which winds up pleasant memories and awakens a romantic mood.

White Nights is the time when at 4 am a full-fledged morning already begins, and the day as a whole lasts more than 18 hours. The peak of this phenomenon occurs on the 20th of June, which lasts almost until the beginning of the next month.

Peter: white nights, exact date

According to official data, white nights in St. Petersburg begin on June 11 and last until July 2. But residents of the northern capital have been observing an increase in daylight hours since the end of May. Moreover, everything continues in June and until the middle of the next month.

Already after the day of the city, which is celebrated invariably on May 27, daylight hours last about 18 hours, and even before June 20, the maximum mark of 18 hours and 50 minutes is reached.

By the way, on the longest Saturday of the year, that is, June 23, 2018, the traditional Scarlet Sails holiday will take place. It is on this day that graduates celebrate graduation, think about the future and enjoy the warm and velvety twilight like never before.

What places to visit

When the white nights begin in St. Petersburg, a lot of events are held, designed for a large number of tourists. In 2018, first of all it is recommended to visit:

Holiday "Scarlet Sails"

1. Colonnade of St. Isaac's Cathedral. This is one of the best places in the center of St. Petersburg, from where a great view comes off. Already from June 1, tourists can get there from 22.30 to 4.30 in the morning. The only day the building is closed to visitors is Wednesday.
2. The main temple of the Russian Empire. Another one viewpoint, which "breathes" history and allows you to enjoy the colorfully illuminated cities at dusk.
3. Hermitage. Anyone who visits for the first time is unlikely to refuse a visit to the Winter Palace and all adjoining buildings. After all, this museum is considered one of the largest in the world, and it is difficult to describe how beautiful it is.
4. headquarters building. To get there, just go palace square. There are wonderful paintings and interesting exhibitions are always held.
5. Excursions along the streets and embankments. The skill of the guides will help you feel the magical atmosphere of the city, feel like a part of something significant and unique.
6. Boat trip. Such a pastime will allow you to get acquainted with Dostoevsky's Petersburg in just a few hours, see the famous Kolomna, mansions and parks of the ancient city.
7. When white nights begin in St. Petersburg, bridges are also raised. And 2018 is no exception in this regard. For three years, the Palace Bridge near the Hermitage has been drawn up to the sounds of a classical orchestra.
8. Palaces of Peterhof. There is a lot of greenery, beautiful parks, ancient fountains and statues. All this helps a person to feel the mood of another world and take a fresh look at many things.
9. International Classical Music Festival "Stars of the White Nights". The Mariinsky Theater is already hosting opera and ballet performances, in which teams from different countries peace. The festival opened on May 26 and will continue until July 23.

As you can see, when white nights begin in St. Petersburg, the city begins a completely new life. In 2018, not only tourists will have the opportunity to relax and feel in a fabulous place. Even the natives of St. Petersburg will be able to discover many new and interesting things.

What is white night and where can you see it? Everyone answers this question in the same way: you need to go to St. Petersburg. Every year, tens of thousands of tourists, travelers and just lovers come to the city on the Neva to enjoy the wonderful sight. Moreover, some argue that it is impossible to see such beautiful white nights anywhere else, so you can consider yourself lucky if you are lucky to live in St. Petersburg. After all, every year you can observe this miracle.

What is white night?

Such a poetic epithet is a natural phenomenon in which natural sunlight partially remains throughout the night. The sun is below the horizon, but the reflections of its rays still provide enough light for spending time outside without the need to light lanterns, which is practiced in some northern cities. One gets the feeling that the sunset smoothly develops into dawn without the onset of complete night darkness.

About what white nights are, Alexander Pushkin poetically and very accurately said: “One dawn is in a hurry to change another, giving half an hour to the night.” The poet depicted the phenomenon, giving it a romantic coloring with notes of slight sadness and magic.

Where can you see this natural phenomenon?

White nights, beckoning with their splendor, can be seen in any area located above the 59th degree of northern latitude. It is important to note that astronomers consider only white night, available at latitude 60.6, to be absolute. And what is observed in the official "city of white nights" St. Petersburg is just twilight. Below 50 degrees north latitude, there are no white nights at all. And on the 49th parallel - only one day a year - June 22.

From June 11 to July 2 - the time of the brightest nights: during this period, each subsequent night becomes brighter than the previous one. After July 5, they begin to darken, becoming more like twilight, and in August the nights turn into the same as everywhere else - completely dark.

Where, besides Peter, this spectacle can be seen

• In the cities of Russia - Magadan, Novy Urengoy, Arkhangelsk, Yakutsk and Khanty-Mansiysk, Murmansk. In Petrozavodsk, the white nights are even more colorful than in St. Petersburg and last 52 days, while in Norilsk and Vorkuta they last even longer.
• Throughout the countries of Denmark, Iceland and Finland, Norway and Sweden.
• In the north of the Baltic.
• In Alaska and Canada (except for the south).
• Partially in the UK.

When the white nights begin, tourists from all over the world come to St. Petersburg. It is in the city on the Neva that the greatness of this natural phenomenon harmoniously looks against the backdrop of aristocratic architecture.

Start

When do white nights start in St. Petersburg? As usual, at the end of May, and end on July 16, although according to the astronomical version, this period is even ten days shorter.

For a little less than two months, the white nights delight the inhabitants of the northern regions and guests who specially come to admire this wonderful natural wonder.

AT settlements above the Arctic Circle, white nights can be observed from two to four weeks, but the further south from the starting point of reference, the shorter the period of constant twilight. At both poles of the Earth, white nights last a little over two weeks and occur twice a year:

• at the South Pole from the third decade of March to April 7 and from the 7th to the second half of September;
• at the North Pole from the beginning of March to the 18th; from the end of September to the middle of October.

White nights in St. Petersburg

When this natural miracle begins, in the city on the Neva, the time comes for festivals of various kinds, folk processions, festivities and attractions of the most diverse directions, because it is the white nights that are the hallmark of the city, along with drawbridges, the Admiralty spire and the Bronze Horseman. The first call of all these entertainment events is the City Day - May 27th. It is with him that the parade of various festivities begins:

• Festival of children's creativity "Sounds and colors of the white nights".

• The holiday of school graduates of the whole city, which is called "Scarlet Sails" because of the spectacular show: a frigate under bright red sails theatrically floats into the waters of the Neva River, illuminated by fireworks against the backdrop of a white night.
• Festival of music "Stars of bygone nights".
• On the last Sunday of July, Navy Day is celebrated on a large scale.
• The festival jazz music"white night swing".

Also, in parallel, many programs and concerts of an entertaining and educational nature for children and adolescents are held: an ice cream festival, folk arts and crafts fairs with master classes, all kinds of water activities and sports competitions.
When the white nights begin in St. Petersburg, it is always a bright, colorful, fun and educational time, so parents try to bring their kids there to teach them to be beautiful.

Where is the best place to spend a white night in St. Petersburg

What can you visit in the city on the Neva to remember this period for a lifetime? The most spectacular is, of course, the drawing of bridges, which takes place every day with a small interval in time.

Also, be sure to take a walk around the square in front of winter palace, and in Peterhof admire the fountains. You should visit St. Isaac's Cathedral, which is the fourth largest in the world and take a walk along Nevsky Prospekt - the warmest part of the city, where the air temperature is three degrees higher than in other areas of St. Petersburg.

To understand what white nights are, you need to see them with your own eyes, because no words can convey the beauty of this delightful natural wonder, no even the most powerful and high-quality photo and video equipment will reflect the beauty of the white night.