Antarctic Circle

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 the 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 midnight) and below the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore not visible at noon); this is also true within the equivalent polar circle in the Northern Hemisphere, the Arctic Circle.

The position of the Antarctic Circle is not fixed; as of 16 April 2024, it runs 66°33′49.9″ south of the Equator. Its latitude depends on the Earth's axial tilt, which fluctuates within a margin of 2° over a 40,000-year period, due to tidal forces resulting from the orbit of the Moon. Consequently, the Antarctic Circle is currently drifting southwards at a speed of about 15 m (49 ft) per year.

Midnight sun and polar night

Relationship of Earth's axial tilt (ε) to the tropical and polar circles

Further information: Midnight sun and Polar night

The Antarctic Circle is the northernmost latitude in the Southern Hemisphere at which the sun can remain continuously above or below the horizon for twenty-four hours; as a result, at least once each year at any location within the Antarctic Circle the sun is visible at local midnight, and at least once it is not visible at local noon.

Directly on the Antarctic Circle these events occur, in principle, exactly once per year: at the December and June solstices, respectively. However, because of atmospheric refraction and mirages, and because the sun appears as a disk and not a point, part of the midnight sun may be seen on the night of the southern summer solstice up to about 50 minutes (′) (90 km (56 mi)) north of the Antarctic Circle; similarly, on the day of the southern winter solstice, part of the sun may be seen up to about 50′ south of the Antarctic Circle. That is true at sea level; those limits increase with elevation above sea level, although in mountainous regions there is often no direct view of the true horizon. Mirages on the Antarctic continent tend to be even more spectacular than in Arctic regions, creating, for example, a series of apparent sunsets and sunrises while in reality the sun remains under the horizon.

Human habitation

An iceberg near the Antarctic Circle north of Detaille Island

Further information: Demographics of Antarctica

There is no permanent human population south of the Antarctic Circle, but there are several research stations in Antarctica operated by various nations that are inhabited by teams of scientists who rotate on a seasonal basis. In previous centuries some semi-permanent whaling stations were established on the continent, and some whalers would live there for a year or more. At least three children have been born in Antarctica, albeit in stations north of the Antarctic Circle.

Geography

The Antarctic Circle is roughly 17,662 kilometres (10,975 mi) long. The area south of the Circle is about 20,000,000 km² (7,700,000 sq mi) and covers roughly 4% of Earth's surface. The continent of Antarctica covers much of the area within the Antarctic Circle.

Sites along the Circle

Starting at the prime meridian and heading eastwards, the Antarctic Circle passes through:

Co-ordinates	Country, territory or sea	Notes
	Southern Ocean	North of Queen Maud Land and Enderby Land
	Antarctica – Enderby Land	Territory claimed by Australia
	Southern Ocean	North of the Amery Ice Shelf
	Antarctica	Territory claimed by Australia
	Southern Ocean
	Antarctica	Territory claimed by Australia
	Southern Ocean
	Antarctica	Territory claimed by Australia
	Southern Ocean	Vincennes Bay
	Antarctica – Wilkes Land	Territory claimed by Australia
	Southern Ocean
	Antarctica – Wilkes Land	Territory claimed by Australia
	Southern Ocean
	Antarctica – Wilkes Land	Territory claimed by Australia
	Antarctica – Adélie Land	Territory claimed by France
	Southern Ocean
	Balleny Islands – Borradaile Island	Territory claimed by New Zealand
	Southern Ocean	Passing just north of Adelaide Island (claimed by Argentina, Chile and United Kingdom)
	Antarctica – Antarctic Peninsula, Graham Land and Larsen Ice Shelf	Territory claimed by Argentina, Chile and United Kingdom
	Southern Ocean	Passing through the Weddell Sea and into an unnamed part of the ocean

See also

• Antarctic Convergence
• Obliquity of the Ecliptic
• Tropic of Cancer
• Tropic of Capricorn

External links

• Antarctic circle org
• Map