Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Surface Mapping of Earth-like Exoplanets using Single Point Light Curves
Published on: May 10, 2020
Abstract:
The Novaya Zemlya effect, historically identified with the premature rebirth of the sun during the polar night, is a long range optical ducting phenomenon in the lower atmosphere. An occurrence of the effect was observed at Tuktoyaktuk, Canada (69 degrees 26'N, 133 degrees 02'W) on 16 May 1979, when the minimum solar altitude was - 1 degrees 34'. The sun's image remained above the horizon, within a gray horizontal band, and assumed the various expected shapes, ranging from a bright rectangle filling the band, to three flat suns stacked one over the other, to several thin vertically separated strips. A model for the corresponding atmospheric conditions was identified by matching the observations with images calculated from a computer simulation study.
Related Concept Videos
Influence of Earth's Curvature and Atmospheric Refraction on Leveling
Potential Due to a Polarized Object
Nuclear Overhauser Enhancement (NOE)
Doppler Effect - II
Conditions on Early Earth
Conditions on Early Earth

