Destination Harstad official travel guide
Official touristinformation for: Harstad, Kvæfjord, Bjarkøy, Tjeldsund, Skånland.
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Polar Night
The Polar Night is a phenomenon that occurs during winter and can only be experienced north of the Arctic Circle or south of the Antarctic Circle. During this period, the sun is below the horizon, even when it is at its highest point. The areas that experience the Polar Night during winter will also experience the Midnight Sun for an equivalent period during summer.
Twilight means that it is not necessarily dark around the clock, in the same way as it is light at other times of the year before sunrise.
In the Harstad region, the Polar Night lasts from December 2 until January 10, and during this period there is only twilight for a few hours during the middle of the day. The blue light to the south just before it gets completely dark is a particular beautiful sight.
When is the Polar Night...??
| Harstad | December 2 | January 10 |
| Svolvær | December 7 | January 5 |
| Bardufoss | November 30 | January 12 |
| Andenes | November 29 | January 13 |
| Tromsø | November 27 | January 15 |
| Alta | November 25 | Januar7 17 |
| Hammerfest | November 22 | January 20 |
| Berlevåg | November 21 | January 21 |
| North Cape | November 20 | January 22 |
Winter
Winter is one of the four seasons in temperate and Arctic zones and comprises in traditional frame of reference as the months of December, January and February.
The astronomical winter is the period from the winter solstice to the spring equinox, and the concurrent astrological signs are Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.
Within meteorology, winter is defined as the period when the normal average temperature for the place in question is below 0 °C.
Twilight
Twilight is the time before sunrise, which is called dawn, and the time after sunset, which is called dusk. The word twilight is used mostly about dusk. Sunlight scattered in the upper atmosphere illuminates the lower atmosphere, and the surface of the Earth is neither completely lit nor completely dark.
Owing to the unusual and romantic quality of the light at this time, twilight has long been popular with photographers and painters, who refer to it as the"blue hour" the French expression l`heure bleue.
The semi-darkness creates a distinctive, magic atmosphere, and during winter this twilight a couple of hours each day. The light phenomena during this period are often fantastic, with pink clouds and mountains. People in Scandinavia were scared of this period as they believed that goblins and trolls moved around between the period of dark and light..!!