Antarctic Circle

Also known as Antarctic Region

boundary of the Antarctic

AI overview

The Antarctic Circle is an imaginary line that marks the boundary of the Antarctic region, located at approximately 66.5 degrees south latitude. It matters because it defines where the sun doesn't set at least once a year (during Antarctic summer) and doesn't rise at least once a year (during Antarctic winter), making it a significant geographic and astronomical marker.

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Wikidata facts

Image: Antarctic Circle Icberg.JPG

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Commons category: Antarctic Circle

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wikidata.org

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Article

Map of the Antarctic with the Antarctic Circle in blue.

The Antarctic Circle is the most southerly of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of Earth. The region south of this circle is known as the Antarctic, and the zone immediately to the north is called the Southern Temperate Zone. South of the Antarctic Circle, the Sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore visible at solar midnight) and the centre of the Sun (ignoring refraction) is below the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore not visible at solar noon); this is also true within the Arctic Circle, the Antarctic Circle’s counterpart in the Northern Hemisphere.