The Year's First Sunrise,
Spitsbergen
~ Imaged by Therese Midtskogen.

"The picture was taken around noon 16 February 2007 on a mountain near Longyearbyen [Latitude ~78.5°N Svalbard Archipelago] at an altitude of about 800 m.  

This is the day when the sun rises above the horizon for the first time in the year and breaks the four month winter darkness.  The sun is only visible from the mountain tops.  It just skims the horizon and the sight lasts about two hours."    

Image©Therese Midtskogen


Atmospheric
Optics

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At extreme left is the last vestige of the Earth's shadow and the rosy hued 'Belt of Venus' or anti-twilight arch.

The blue-purple snow is lit only by sky light.

Sunlight just reaching mountain peaks is often called 'Alpenglow'. However, this term is reserved by some to the rosy hue of a mountain top after sunset or before sunrise when it is illuminated purely by bright twilight. Both events are beautiful.