18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
A serene harbor in Tromsø, Norway during Polar Night

This photograph captures a still harbor in Tromsø, Norway during Polar Night. Polar Night is a wondrous phenomenon that occurs in the southernmost and northernmost regions of the earth where nighttime lasts more than 24 hours. Although one might assume it would be pitch black during this time, there is actually a pearly glow that fills Tromsø for a few hours each day during Polar Night (especially toward the end of the season), mimicking a type of "sunlight." It is stunning beyond words and very difficult to capture in photographs. It almost feels otherworldly.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Tromsø, Norway
Camera: NIKON D3300
Copyright: © Molly Bookner