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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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Earth & Climate News
September 12, 2025
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Sep. 5, 2025 — UC Santa Barbara researchers project that human impacts on oceans will double by 2050, with warming seas and fisheries collapse leading the charge. The tropics and poles face the fastest changes, and ...
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Sep. 4, 2025 — New research reveals that carbon made it possible for Earth’s molten core to freeze into a solid heart, stabilizing the magnetic field that protects our planet. Without it, Earth’s deep interior ...
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