In the Arctic can be seen amazing optical effects. One of them is the so called Novaya Zemlya effect.
He is alleged that sunrise occurs before its astronomical appearance: that is, in fact, the sun has not risen yet, but you can see it already. This optical effect is based on the refraction of light in the layers of air of different temperatures.
For the first time the effect of the New Earth is described in the memoirs of participants of the expedition of Willem Barents. They saw the sun just in the New Earth January 24, 1574, two weeks before the actual sunrise. Then the travelers did not believe, considering that the expedition used the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian (this would explain two-week advance "astronomical chart").
Official recognition and scientific explanation of this optical effect, typical of the Arctic and Antarctic, was only in the late 20th century. After that, scientists have found that it is the effect of the New Earth is described in the observations of Kepler, dated 1604.
False dawn, as well as other optical effects in the Arctic, in the past could cause a lot of problems polar explorers. At present, the beginning and end of the polar night, easily predictable, and the emergence of the reflected sun above the horizon can be seen exclusively as an interesting natural phenomenon.
