Posted on 10/24/2013 12:35:36 PM PDT by dead
A Sun-starved town nestled deep in a mountain valley is soaking up some winter rays for the first time in its history after installing three giant mirrors to reflect light.
In a reverse of a classic episode of The Simpsons, the 3,500 residents of Rjukan in Norway are finally able to bathe in the Sun’s light as it moves low across the sky in the winter months.
Rjukan, 100 miles west of Oslo, previously endured months of no sunlight every year between September and March, but three giant mirrors – known as heliostats – constructed 450m above the town trace the Sun’s movement and reflect light into the town’s central square.
Town mayor Steinar Bergsland told the Daily Telegraph: ‘It is really special to stand in the light down on the square and feel the heat. This is for the pale little children of Rjukan.’
The idea for reflecting light down into the town was first put forward by industrialist Sam Eyde 100 years ago, but was only made possible by advances in modern technology.
Artist Martin Andersen drew up the new heliostat plans, winning funding of 5million kroner (£525,000) in the process.
He told the Times: ‘It sounds like something from a Donald Duck cartoon, it is pretty crazy.’
The town of Viganella in northern Italy adopted a similar system in 2006.
Sucks for the vampires though.
Bizarre as this might seem, it’s a great idea. Anyone, who has lived in the far north (as I did for decades), knows that the lack sunlight in winter is far worse than the cold (and it gets very cold in Canada’s northern territories).
Depression and alcoholism are common ailments.....Here in Michigan winter is bad enough
A bunch of years ago my sister and brother in law were in a far north country, maybe Finland.. In any case, they were amazed at the amounts of alchohol people had in their shopping carts.....
Obviously, the conservative party took over in Norway in the recent elections, and innovation is flowering... (Yeah I know it wasn’t long enough to install mirrors, but I had to say it)
Just wait until it turns into a giant death ray...'Walkie-Talkie' skyscraper melts Jaguar car parts
Having it made in the shade works better in tropic climes, but hey this is a great solution. Mirrors.
...thought by your tag, you'd like vamps.“Plan B” would be to move the town where the sun shines.
>> three giant mirrors to reflect light
Freda, zie hair — es ist smoldeving.
Those pictures have the sense of getting under a hot shower after being out in the cold and wet for hours, performing some emergency service you HAD to do, and you DID it and by GOD, you’re freezing !
Gore and the AGW scammers will delete this ASAP
They’re even solar powered.
Married with Children, right?
Yup, it looks like the solar panels are powering motors that keep the mirrors pointed in a useful direction all day.
As a bonus, at night they could reflect moonlight down there.
If that were here in the U.S. one of the nanny troops would be off reminding them to put on sunscreen and always wear a hat and long sleeves, as well as tax those tanners.
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