Category Archives: Atmosphere
Over the Rainbow
This rainbow appeared after a rain shower around noon today. Notice that on the inside the sky is brighter than on the outside. Such a perfect rainbow brings to mind Judy Garland´s song “Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz.
Last night
Even Icelanders do not expect to see the Northern Lights until winter but last night’s clear skies sported these beautiful colours. Forecasts say that in the next few nights Northern Light activity will be high. The best time to see them is usually around midnight.
Summer solstice
Summer solstice was yesterday – the longest day of the year. This photo was taken just before midnight when the sun breaks through the cloudy northern sky over Mount Ingólfsfjall with Ölfusá River in the foreground.
Beautiful Sunset
First day of Summer
Today is the first day of summer in Iceland, – a holiday celebrated every year on the first Thursday after the 18th of April. Iceland is the only country that has a special holiday to celebrate the coming of summer. It is part of an Icelandic folklore. In olden days there were only two seasons, equally long, summer and winter. In this respect the first day of summer was actually new years day.
The folklore says that if there is frost the night before the first of summer the summer will be good. Tonight the temperatures went slightly below zero and there was frost on the ground. The sun rises at 5:30 now and the sun is shining so it seems we will be having a nice warm day. According to the folklore the summer should be a good one.
Northern lights over Selfoss
This evening the Northern lights over Selfoss were strong and bright but it was cloudy. These photos are taken on April 2.
Green skies
Usually the display of Northern Lights is most common in September and October and in late February and March. For some reason there is less chance of seeing them in the darkest months of the year i.e. in December and January.
Thursday night on my way home I noticed some Northern Lights and stopped to take these photoes.
Thin ozone layer
If all winter days could be like this. Clear blue skies and the river, with the sky reflected in it, as blue as it can be . These are the days for skying and skating. One fault though is that the ozone layer over the country is at its thinnest now so every one is advised to use sun blocker.
Tonight is winter solstice
We call the shortest day and the longest night of the year winter solstice. It is when the sun’s elevation in the sky is at its lowest which will be tonight at 4:49. So December 22 is the shortest day of the year.
In Reykjavík the sun crawls over the horizon at 11:23, it is at its highest at 13:26 and sets again at 15:30. After tomorrow the days will start to get longer, something almost everyone looks forward to. Happy Solstice 🙂