Polar night begins on Russia’s northernmost territory
The polar night will continue for 133 days
The polar night began on Wednesday on the Franz Josef Land Archipelago, Russia’s northernmost territory. The polar night will stay for 133 days, announced Advisor to Director of the Russian Arctic National Park Viktor Kuznetsov.
“The polar night has begun on the entire Franz Josef Land Archipelago, and it will continue here for 133 days – the longest polar night in Russia,” he said.
The archipelago’s most northern island – the Rudolf Island is about 900km from the North Pole, or 8 degrees 51 minutes. On the North Pole the night continues for 176 days.
Presently, the national park’s two specialists work on Franz Josef Land. Since March they have been on the Alexandra Land Island, the home of Omega – the national park’s year-round base.
“A new shift of specialists will replace them shortly,” he added.
The national park’s Director Alexander Kirilov told TASS the current air temperature on the archipelago is minus 2-4 degrees, the south-eastern wind’s speed is 10mps. “The weather is good,” he said. “However, it’s overcast.”
The Russian Arctic National Park is Eurasia’s northernmost and Russia’s biggest nature reserve. It includes the Franz Josef Land archipelago and the northern part of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.
Tourists may visit the national park traveling on board cruise ships along the Northern Sea Route on the return voyage from Spitsbergen to Franz Josef Land, or on a nuclear icebreaker, which calls on Franz Josef Land during a cruise to the North Pole.
