Residents and visitors lap up the sun in the market square of Rjukan in Norway. Up until this week the town -- which sits in a village -- was devoid of winter sun. That changed because...
Why are these people so happy? —
Residents and visitors lap up the sun in the market square of Rjukan in Norway. Up until this week the town -- which sits in a village -- was devoid of winter sun. That changed because...
KRISTER SOERBOE/AFP/Getty Images
... of these mirrors. A combined reflective surface of 50 square meters now beams sunlight into the town.
The solution is in the mirror —
... of these mirrors. A combined reflective surface of 50 square meters now beams sunlight into the town.
courtesy Solar Tower Systems
The mirror idea was first put forward more than 100 years ago. It took awhile for technology, and the money associated with it, to become available.
A century in the making —
The mirror idea was first put forward more than 100 years ago. It took awhile for technology, and the money associated with it, to become available.
Bendiksby, Terje/AFP/Getty Images
"It's magnificent now that it's in place," says Tracy Murphy, owner of town center business Café Nye Tider. "The mirror reveals something that has never happened before -- sun in the middle of Rjukan."
And there was light —
"It's magnificent now that it's in place," says Tracy Murphy, owner of town center business Café Nye Tider. "The mirror reveals something that has never happened before -- sun in the middle of Rjukan."
courtesy Trond Stegarud/visitRjukan
The $850,000 project uses computer-powered mirrors that shift every 10 seconds to track the sun during the day.
Moving with the sun —
The $850,000 project uses computer-powered mirrors that shift every 10 seconds to track the sun during the day.
KRISTER SOERBOE/AFP/Getty Images
The result is that up to 600 square meters of sunlight now hit the town.
Twenty-first century technology —
The result is that up to 600 square meters of sunlight now hit the town.
MEEK, TORE/AFP/Getty Images
It's like being at the beach in the middle of winter!
Now we can see the ball —
It's like being at the beach in the middle of winter!
Krister/AFP/Getty Images
The town's mayor hopes the sun mirror will draw more visitors to Rjukan. "The sun mirror means a lot to Rjukan, both for tourism and for [winter sports] industry, which is our origin. It's a perfect combination of technology and art -- and of course it is a great welfare activity for the citizens of Rjukan," Steinar Bergsland says.
Tourism drawcard —
The town's mayor hopes the sun mirror will draw more visitors to Rjukan. "The sun mirror means a lot to Rjukan, both for tourism and for [winter sports] industry, which is our origin. It's a perfect combination of technology and art -- and of course it is a great welfare activity for the citizens of Rjukan," Steinar Bergsland says.
Krister/AFP/Getty Images
For visitors, Rjukan has a cable car and all sorts of winter sports options on Gaustatoppen Mountain. It's near the vast mountain plateau of Hardangervidda National Park, good for hiking, cross-country skiing and reindeer spotting, among other activities. And now it has winterwun.
Adding to the appeal —
For visitors, Rjukan has a cable car and all sorts of winter sports options on Gaustatoppen Mountain. It's near the vast mountain plateau of Hardangervidda National Park, good for hiking, cross-country skiing and reindeer spotting, among other activities. And now it has winterwun.
Soerboe, Krister/AFP/Getty Images