See the world go dark – total solar eclipse on Svalbard

See the world go dark – total solar eclipse on Svalbard

On 20^th March 2015, Svalbard in Norway will experience total solar eclipse. In practice, this is the only inhabited area where you can experience the total darkness take place from the ground.

Svalbard is located close by the North Pole, and due to its location and weather conditions
that time of the year, Svalbard is probably the best place in the world to experience the eclipse. The Norwegian mainland in contrast is likely to experience a 90% eclipse.

People are expected to travel from all over the world to experience a few minutes of natural magic in March. The eclipse is expected to last approximately two and a half minutes in Longyearbyen, the main settlement on Svalbard. It doesn’t just go dark, but the temperature falls, and insects and birds stop making sounds when the last ray of light disappears behind the moon.

How to experience the eclipse
Svalbard is only around five hours from the UK, bar a stop-over in Oslo. Many hotels have been fully-booked for the eclipse since early 2013, but there may still be a chance to experience it live. Several UK tour operators arrange trips to Svalbard, with Wexas offering a 7-day trip specifically for the solar eclipse.

Notes to editor:

Total solar eclipses appear approximately once a year somewhere on the planet. The next is expected in Indonesia in 2016. The next total solar eclipse in Svalbard is estimated another 300-400 years from now.

Svalbard is located halfway between Norway and the North Pole. The islands are known for having more polar bears than human inhabitants; it’s traditional mining industry; and international melting pot after the Svalbard Treaty granting any signing country permission to live on the islands. Also boasts the world’s northernmost gourmet restaurant and champagne tasting venue. Longyearbyen is the administrative town, and where most people live.

For more information on Svalbard: www.visitnorway.com/uk/where-to-go-uk/north/svalbard/key-facts-about-svalbard/

Package deal with Wexas: 7-day holiday from £4,995 per person incl. flights, from 17th March. Included two nights in Oslo, four in Longyearbyen. Snowmobiling; ice caving; dog sledding; champagne tasting; and northern lights chasing are some of the activities on offer in addition to the eclipse.

For more information: www.wexas.com/norway-holidays/offer/solar-eclipse-in-spitsbergen---march-2015-103452.html