What is so special about that imaginary map lines called the Arctic and Antarctic Circles? For one, the Arctic is really a HUGE slab of ice on top of water. Scientists don't believe that there is any land underneath the large ice sheet. The Antarctic on the other hand is a large land mass, covered in snow and ice. The only way to know if you have crossed that imaginary line is if you see a sign, like this one in Alaska. On the Arctic Circle, the Sun does not set at all on the Summer Solstice. On that one day, the Sun traces a complete circle just above the horizon as the Earth rotates. On the Antarctic Circle, the Sun does not set at all on the Winter Solstice. This would be the view of the summer sun...for six months....yes, it never sets. What you heard was correct. Looking at the above model you can see how the rays of the sun are more intense in the tropics and less intense at the poles. The reason ice doesn't melt at the poles is because even though it warms up for 6 months, it still isn't warm enough to melt all the ice...especially the really, really, thick ice.
When you travel closer to the poles, you have more and more days when the Sun does not set (or rise), until, at the poles, the Sun remains above or below the horizon for six months at a time. What does that have to do with the solstices? On December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere it is completely dark for the next six months and on Southern Hemisphere, the South Pole starts six months of sunlight. Crazy, but cool, right?
17 Comments
10/6/2016 03:35:28 pm
those pics are cool. This also taught me stuff i didn't know
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Paige
10/6/2016 03:45:34 pm
Wow on the last pic it looks like there is a lot of suns! and very interesting!
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Hannah;)
10/6/2016 04:21:33 pm
I miss you so much
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Katelyn ashton
10/6/2016 06:28:00 pm
How do people ever get to sleep with the sun up all the time
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Stephanie
10/6/2016 07:49:13 pm
It would be pretty awesome to live in one of the circles but kind of depressing with or without light all day.
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Abril
10/6/2016 07:50:48 pm
Ya
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Abril
10/6/2016 07:50:06 pm
It crazy the will rise or not set it must be really hard to live there but they probly figer out ways to live there
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Tyler
10/6/2016 08:34:03 pm
You wouldn't be able to go to sleep for months!😪😴😢
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Avery
10/6/2016 09:21:11 pm
That would be so hard to sleep with the sun up....But it would also be kind of fun to have it sunny all day!
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Zaya
10/6/2016 09:25:35 pm
I love the picture of how the sun would like like for six months!
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Kylie
10/6/2016 09:28:30 pm
Wow!how hard would it be to go to sleep with the sun up for 6 months?😔😴
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jenna
10/7/2016 07:07:22 am
wow i knever knew the artic and antartic were so diffrent
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Eden :)
10/7/2016 07:47:34 am
That's awesome!!! I'm fascinated by the artic circle!
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |