The immortal line “When the night has come and the land is dark” is no longer accurate in Denmark, as the period of neverending twilight has once again started. Welcome to ‘White Nights’!

We may never fully get away from the gloomy weather of Denmark, but at least from now on, the sun will never truly leave us, as it will only ever be a maximum of 18 degrees below the horizon.

So Ben E King, get your pen out: “When the night has come, the land is never going to be pitch dark” is a more accurate description of the next four months up until August 8.

Danes call the phenomenon ‘lyse nætter’. The longest day and brightest night will fall on June 21 this year.

How does this phenomenon occur
The phenomenon occurs when the sun is located between 0 and 18 degrees below the horizon, and it is divided into three types depending on the location of the sun.

‘Astronomical twilight’ is when the sun is located between 12 to 18 degrees. The sky is more of a dark blue than black.

With ‘Nautical twilight’ (6 to 12 degrees) the stars become more visible. 

And ‘Civil twilight’ is when the night is very bright. It usually occurs when the sun is between 0 and 6 degrees below.

Find out more by watching the video here.