What defines the Arctic Circle? Please read on...?

Question

This isn't homework (I'm 53); it's just that I have moved to the Seattle area after having grown up in Texas, and had occasion to think about how much closer to the Arctic Circle it is, given the length of days and nights here. But although I presume it has something to do with the height of the sun, I don't really know what defines the Arctic Circle, so I thought I'd ask.

Thanks!

Answer 1

The parallel of latitude that is approximately 66  1⁄2 degrees north of the equator and that circumscribes the northern frigid zone

Hope this is what you mean

Answer 2

The Arctic Circle is an imaginary circle around the Earth about three-quarters of the way from the Equator to the North Pole. North of this line is the “Land of the Midnight Sun,” where the sun never sets during the Summer Solstice (June 21).  It is also "The Land of No Sun", where the sun doesn't rise north of this line during the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21).

Answer 3

The axis of the world, (the line running from pole to pole, is 23 degrees and a half slant if compared to the "road" the earth uses to go around the sun in a year.

So, it´s easy to image that skimos will never see the sun over their heads.

People along the ecuator line are within the area where the sun passes over head all year long, That area is limited by  the "tropics".  The tropic lines are 23 degrees and 1/2 north and south of ecuator line.

You have heard that in some days of the year, near the poles, the sun ligth never shines, and in some other times of year, it´s daytime ligth 24 hours a day.

That area, where that fenomeno occurs, is called "polar cap". the lines that limit that area are 23 degrees and a half from the poles,  Please see this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taHTA7S_J...

You will see many other explanations.

Esteban, Colima, Col. México (within tropics)

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