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Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. This is the parallel of latitude that (in 2000) runs 66.56083 degrees north of the Equator. Everything north of this circle is known as the Arctic, and the zone just to the south of this circle is the Northern Temperate Zone.
The Arctic Circle marks the southern extremity of the polar day (24 hour sunlit day) of the summer solstice in June and the polar night (24 hour sunless night) of the winter solstice in December. Within the Arctic Circle, the Sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year, in conjunction with the Arctic's Summer Solstice. Likewise, in conjunction with the Arctic’s Winter Solstice, the Arctic sun will be below the horizon for at least 24 continuous hours.
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August 3, 2026
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Latest Headlines
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Aug. 1, 2026 Scientists studying magma from the 2021 Tajogaite eruption on La Palma have discovered that extreme heat can dramatically change how an eruption unfolds. When magma becomes superheated, it can ...
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July 23, 2026 Scientists may be able to reliably forecast Antarctic ice loss through the middle of this century, offering governments a vital head start on sea level rise. After that, unstable ice retreat could ...
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