At 11.15 pm in Central Europe, corresponding to approximately midnight on the meridian on which the airship is located, the height of the sun, shining exactly north of the airship, is taken. The latitude is 88° 30′. 1° 70′ of latitude is missing to get to the Pole: about two hours of flight at this pace. Clouds gather, albeit in the absence of wind, over the airship. The fog beneath the NORGE, however, begins to clear. At 11.30 pm we return in sight of the pack ice.
The landscape had suddenly taken on a sad and solemn aspect. Nothing better than the sun to enliven even inanimate things: but now the sun was hiding behind the high clouds, and his absence made the desolation of the pack feel more and more. On the immense frozen plain, sparse flakes of fog produced gray spots. The whole environment had taken on a pearl gray tone.
UMBERTO NOBILE, IN VOLO ALLA CONQUISTA DEL SEGRETO POLARE. DA ROMA A TELLER ATTRAVERSO IL POLO NORD, A. MONDADORI, 1928 MILANO, P.251 (trad. R.R)
