The Arctic Circle, polar circle (English) is an earthly parallel at latitude 66°33′39″, or 66.56083, the length of which is 15948 km. The latitude of the Arctic Circle is equal to the inclination of the earth's axis to the ecliptic plane. In the Arctic Circle and at higher latitudes there is a polar night, when the sun does not rise for 1 day or more, and a polar day - when it does not set for a day or more.
In the Northern Hemisphere the Arctic Circle is called the Arctic Circle, in the Southern Hemisphere it is called the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is considered the northern limit of the temperate climate zone and the southern limit of the Arctic; The Southern Arctic Circle is the climatic boundary of Antarctica. On the day of the summer solstice (June 21-22), the sun does not set north of the Arctic Circle, and on the day of the winter solstice (December 21-22), it does not rise.
Due to the fact that the tilt of the earth's axis is constantly changing (the phenomenon of precession)1, the line of the Arctic Circle moves up to 3 m per day and 100 m per year. Until 2015, the Arctic Circle will move north, and then within 9 years it will move 400 meters to the south. 2
True polar day and true polar night
This calculation is somewhat simplified: the Arctic Circle defines the boundary of the polar night if the Sun is a luminous point and the Earth has no atmosphere. In fact, the day begins when the top point of the solar disk appears above the horizon, and not the geometric center of the Sun. In addition, the apparent position of the Sun in the sky is higher than the true one due to refraction, i.e. bending of light rays in the earth's atmosphere. Therefore, the calculated boundary of the polar night passes approximately 50 minutes north of the latitude of the Arctic Circle.
The duration and darkness of the polar night increase with distance from the Arctic Circle to the pole. Thus, in the Northern Hemisphere south of latitude 74.5° N. on any winter day, although the Sun does not rise, “civil” twilight occurs every day, south of 80.5° - “navigational”, south of 84.5° - “astronomical”. These terms refer to different degrees of sky illumination that change over time. Night is considered to be the dark time of the day, during which the illumination of the sky is constant. True polar night occurs around the clock only north of 84.5°: south of this latitude the Sun does not rise, but dawn still occurs every day.
History of the concept
The first astronomer who introduced the concept of the “Arctic circle” was Plato’s student Eudoxus of Cnidus (approximately 408-355 BC). Eudoxus understood the connection between the tilt of the earth’s axis and the illumination of different regions of the earth and connected the latitude of the area and its climate. He introduced the very concept of “climate” from the Greek. "clima", κλίμα - "inclination". Eudoxus placed his “Arctic circle” at 54° and considered all places north of this latitude unsuitable for human habitation.
The first navigator, who managed around 327 BC. cross the Arctic Circle, was the ancient Greek geographer Pytheas. He observed a polar day at latitudes north of 64° in the Norwegian Sea.
The first navigator to cross the Antarctic Circle was James Cook. He did this during his second circumnavigation of the world on January 17, 1773 between 11 a.m. and noon. Cook's ship "Resolution" passed the "Antarctic Circle" in the modern Cosmonaut Sea at longitude 39°35"E (Indian sector of the Southern Ocean).
Arctic Circle Line
Increase
The Arctic Circle line, Circulo Arctico, is shown in red on a Dutch map from 1641.
In Europe, the Arctic Circle passes through the territory of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. European seas and subjects of the Russian Federation crossed by the Arctic Circle line - the Republic of Karelia, Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea, Murmansk Region, the White Sea and its Mezen Bay, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug of the Arkhangelsk Region, the Komi Republic. Asian seas and constituent entities of the Russian Federation: Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug of the Tyumen Region (where part of the Arctic Circle line runs along the Ob Bay of the Kara Sea), Krasnoyarsk Territory and its Evenki Autonomous Okrug, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (in which part of the line Arctic Circle goes along the Kolyuchinskaya Bay of the Chukchi Sea). The part of the Eurasian continent located north of the Arctic Circle is called the Arctic.
Beyond the Bering Strait, the Arctic Circle continues into America, crossing the US state of Alaska and 3 Canadian territories: Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. It then passes through Fox Bay, Baffin Island, Davis Strait and Greenland.
In the North Atlantic, on the Arctic Circle line, there are the Denmark Strait, the Icelandic island of Grimsey, the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea.
Antarctic Circle Line
The Arctic Circle crosses the Southern Ocean and some territories of Antarctica, passing through the Antarctic Peninsula, then the Weddell, Lazarev, Riiser-Larsen, Cosmonaut Seas and its Amundsen Gulf. From the shore of this bay, the Arctic Circle crosses Enderby Land, the Commonwealth Sea, Princess Elizabeth Land, the Davis Sea, the Pravda Coast, the Knox Coast, Vincennes Bay of the Mawson Sea. Then he alternately walks across the ocean, then along different shores of Wilkes Land: Knox, Budd, Banzare, Clari. And not far from the French station "Dumont-D'Urville" it leaves the Antarctic continent into the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean.
In the Northern Hemisphere the Arctic Circle passes, and in the Southern Hemisphere, accordingly, the line of the Southern First is considered the boundary of climate and the Arctic. The Antarctic Circle is considered the climatic boundary of Antarctica. On June 21-22 (summer solstice) the sun does not set, and on (December 21-22) the sun does not rise.
Due to changes in the tilt of the earth's axis, the Arctic Circle line shifts daily up to three meters per day and up to one hundred meters per year. Experts made calculations until 2015. It has been established that at first the Arctic Circle will shift north. In the next nine years after 2015 - four hundred meters to the south.
The boundary of the polar night is determined by the Arctic Circle, if the Sun is a luminous point, while the Earth does not have an atmosphere. In reality, the day begins when the highest point of the sun's disk appears. Moreover, the apparent position of the star is higher than the real one due to refraction (bending of rays in the atmosphere). In this regard, the Arctic Circle lies fifty minutes south of the polar night.
The concept of Arctic circle was first introduced by Eudoxus of Cnidus (a student of Plato). He understood the connection between the tilt of the planet's axis and illumination in different regions of the Earth, and connected the climate and latitude of the area. Eudoxus introduced the definition of “climate”. The location of the Arctic Circle, in his opinion, was 54 degrees. All the places behind it were considered unsuitable for human life.
Around 327 BC. The first sailor who was able to sail across the Arctic Circle was the geographer Pytheas. He observed an Arctic day in the Norwegian Sea.
The first navigator to sail across the Southern Circle was Cook. This happened during his trip around the world.
The Arctic Circle in Europe runs through Norway, Finland, Russia, and Sweden. The line crosses in Russia the Republic of Karelia, the Murmansk region, and the Mezen Bay to the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Komi and other areas. The part of the continent that is located north of the circle is called the Arctic.
Beyond the Bering Strait the line continues into America. In this territory, the Arctic Circle passes through Alaska and three regions of Canada. The line then goes through Baffin Island, Fox Bay, Greenland and Davis Strait.
The Northern Circle in the North Atlantic passes through the island of Grimsey, which belongs to Iceland, as well as the Norwegian and Greenland seas.
The Southern Circle crosses several territories of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. The line passes through the Antarctic Peninsula, the Lazarev Sea, Weddell Sea, Cosmonaut Sea, Amudsen Bay and the Riiser-Lansen Sea. From the shore of Amudsen Bay, the Arctic Circle line crosses the Commonwealth Sea, the land of Enderby and Princess Elizabeth, the Pravda Coast, the Davis Sea, Vincennes Bay in the Mawson Sea, as well as the Knox Coast. The line then alternates between the ocean and various shores on Wilkes land. Not far from Dumont-D'Urville (French station) it enters the Pacific sector in the Southern Ocean from the Antarctic continent.
For some people, the Arctic Circle is a distant, mysterious place, which is simply unimaginable to get to, where it is always snowing and very cold, but for others it is a familiar everyday life: home, family, work. A huge number of cities in the world are located beyond the Arctic Circle, many far beyond it. Among them, Russian cities occupy a large share. Large cities with a population of about 200 thousand people or even more, small towns, towns, villages and hamlets. Many Russians live in the north and are madly in love with their region.
The image of the Arctic Circle is fixed in many works of fiction. In them, the Arctic Circle is a desperate and dangerous place, covered with a thick layer of snow, and even looking at the map, these incredible descriptions become clear.
What is the Arctic Circle from a scientific point of view? It is from the Arctic Circle that the phenomenon of polar day and polar night begins. This is when the sun does not set below the horizon during the night, or does not appear from it during the day. Where the Arctic Circle passes, such a night and such a day happen once a year. The further north you go, the more days like this become. Each city and town has its own length of polar days and nights.
What Russian cities are located beyond the Arctic Circle? Let's start with the largest ones.
Large cities of Russia beyond the Arctic Circle
Murmansk is the largest northern city in Russia by population, located beyond the Arctic Circle. Its population is almost 300 thousand people. Murmansk, stretching over more than 150 square meters, is located on the edge of the Kola Peninsula on the eastern coast of the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea. The eastern outskirts of the city borders the polar taiga.
The city of Murmansk is also called the “gateway of the Arctic”. It is the largest ice-free port in the Arctic with a nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet of 8 icebreakers. They traveled the entire Arctic more than once, visiting the very top of the Earth. The coastal infrastructure of Murmansk, including ship repair yards, is the closest rear of the Northern Navy. And it is from this city that many Russian and foreign travelers begin their journey to the North Pole. In 2016 the city will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Among the attractions in Murmansk are:
The oceanarium is the only one in the world located beyond the Arctic Circle;
The famous memorial to the defenders of the country “Alyosha”, whose height is 31.5 meters.
The Kola Bridge is 1611 meters long, and with access roads - 2500 meters, and has been under construction for 12 years. The bridge connects Murmansk with the western part of the Murmansk region, as well as with Finland and Norway.
An observation deck with a beautiful view of the entire city.
Norilsk is the second big city in our country, located far beyond the Arctic Circle. This city was created in order to develop the unique natural resources of the Taimyr Peninsula. Its population is 176.6 thousand people. Norilsk is located 300 km north of the Arctic Circle. This is a city of permafrost. Even summer here is more than a two-month transition from a capricious spring to a cold autumn. Frosts in winter reach -56°C.
During the Soviet years, a forced labor camp was located here, part of the Gulag. Its prisoners built the modern city of Norilsk. Norilsk was given city status in 1953.
Unfortunately, Norilsk is one of the environmentally unfavorable cities in Russia and even the world due to the large number of mining and metallurgical enterprises. In Norilsk, precious metals are mined in very large quantities: palladium, platinum.
Vorkuta is a city in the north of the Komi Republic with a population of 61.6 thousand people. The city is located in the tundra, in the permafrost zone, 160 km from the Arctic Ocean. During Soviet times, Gulag correctional camps were located here. Summer, like in other northern cities, is cold and short, but with long daylight hours. In the depths of the earth in this area there is a lot of coal and other minerals. Today, thanks to the great demand for coal around the world, coal enterprises are performing well.
Apatity is a city in the Murmansk region with a population of 57.9 thousand people. Located on the Kola Peninsula near the Belaya River between Lake Imandra and the Khibiny Mountains. The winter here, although long, is not so severe, with 23 polar nights. There is snow up to 250 days a year. A city with developed infrastructure, with its own airport and railway station. The townspeople are interested in the huge Lake Imandra. It is almost a small sea with a large number of islands (about 140) and 20 tributaries.
Severomorsk, with a population of almost 49 thousand people, is located 25 km northeast of Murmansk. This is a seaport of the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea, and is also a naval base of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Federation.
Salekhard is the only city in the world located on the border of the Arctic Circle. Its population is 47.9 thousand people. This is the capital of the largest gas producing region - the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Founded in 1595.
Monchegorsk with 43.5 thousand inhabitants is located beyond the Arctic Circle on the Kola Peninsula on the northern side of the Monchetundra mountain range near Lake Imandra and Lumbolka. It is located 145 km south of Murmansk. The city was founded in 1937 due to the need to mine copper-nickel rocks in the area, which the land is rich in. As a result, Monchegorsk is the center of the country’s copper-nickel industry.
Kandalaksha is a city with a population of 33.5 thousand people. This is the southern gate of the Kola Peninsula. The city is located at the mouth of the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea and near the Niva River. The sun almost sets below the horizon in July and August, and does not appear from it in November and December. The sea trade port of Kandalaksha provides access to all seas and oceans.
Kirovsk is the northern city of our country with a population of more than 27.7 thousand people. This is a city of geologists and miners, and is a center for the extraction of a valuable mineral - apatite. The ski slopes of the Khibiny Mountains bring great popularity to the city. The city cannot boast of architectural sights, since it is still very young, but the beauty of nature and the area cannot leave anyone who has visited it indifferent.
Naryan-Mar completes the top ten largest cities in Russia in terms of population, located beyond the Arctic Circle. The city is located on the banks of the Pechora River. Founded at the beginning of the 20th century. The population of the city is 23.4 thousand people. Many Russian fishermen come here. Salmon, nelma, whitefish and other valuable fish are found here in large quantities.
Small towns of Russia beyond the Arctic Circle
The following Russian cities are also located above the Arctic Circle. Their population is smaller, however, these cities with their traditions and attractions also deserve special attention.
Polar (17 thousand people)
Zapolyarny (15.4 thousand people)
Polar Dawns (14.9 thousand people)
Nickel (12.1 thousand people)
Gadzhievo (11.8 thousand people)
Vorgashor (10.9 thousand people)
Cola (10.1 thousand people)
Zaozersk (9.9 thousand people)
Ostrovnoy (2 thousand people)
Verkhoyansk (1.2 thousand people)
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For some, the Arctic Circle is a distant, mysterious dream, for others it is a familiar daily reality. A huge number of works of art have cemented the image of the Arctic Circle as a desperate and dangerous place, covered only with snow, although even a cursory glance at the map is enough to understand the inaccuracy of such associations. Murmansk is located significantly north of the Arctic Circle, and many people live there. And they live well. The reality, as always, is not so romantic, but for many, like me, crossing the Arctic Circle is comparable to visiting one of the wonders of the world.
From a scientific point of view, the Arctic Circle is the place from which you can observe the polar day or polar night - the sun that does not set or rise. The Arctic Circle is an invisible border where the sun does not set only on the longest day of the year (June 21-22) and does not rise from December 21-22. The further you move north, the longer the polar day and night will be. The polar circles in the north and south of the globe are located at the same latitudes 66° 33? 39?. Within the northwestern region, the Arctic Circle runs almost along the border of Karelia and the Murmansk region, touching the Kola Peninsula and the very north of the Arkhangelsk region. The Arctic Circle in Finland passes just north of Rovaniemi, then touches the northern part of Sweden and a large part of Norway.
Driving north just to stop at the Arctic Circle sign doesn't make much sense. What is important is not so much the sign itself, but how the Arctic Circle affects the surrounding nature and life rhythms. Due to the fact that the atmosphere effectively scatters light, the period of white nights is quite long and you can safely drive all night in June-July in polar regions. On the other hand, in order to constantly see the disk of the sun you will have to climb even further north, since uneven terrain very often hides it behind the horizon.
The climate near the Arctic Circle is not that cold; in summer it can be up to +25, only periods of warm weather are very short-lived. In winter it can reach -40, but with low humidity this is not very noticeable. The vegetation is becoming scarce, there are many trees, but they are no longer so tall and turn yellow much earlier.
For most, the easiest way to get to the Arctic Circle is the M18 federal highway. For residents of St. Petersburg, this is the Murmansk highway, only in Murmansk it is simply called M18 on maps =) The highway is broken in places, but good lighting in the summer and pleasant views make the trip more enjoyable. Already at the entrance to the circle, small hills appear from the swamps, which will grow into hills beyond the Arctic Circle. Visibility at 1 a.m. a week before the solstice is excellent.
When you see a stele with the inscription “Arctic Circle”, you can consider that you have almost reached it. If you look at the available maps, the real Arctic Circle is located 700 meters to the north, but this is not significant. There are a huge number of ribbons tied around the stele itself and on the stele. Most likely, these ribbons are tied for the happiness of the newlyweds, but there are other versions.
If you go by car, you can get to the Arctic Circle from St. Petersburg in 10-15 hours. Despite the beauty of the surrounding areas, parking a tent is not so easy. There are few exits from the highway and not all of them lead to a beautiful, clean lake. There were motels along the road, but we didn’t dare check their service.
Nutrition
You need to take food with you, but in the worst case it can be bought every 150 kilometers. The M18 is quite a busy road, and the people who drive along it are willing to help.
What to take
The set of things strictly depends on the method of getting to the stele. If you are confident in your abilities and in the reliability of the machine, then a set of sandwiches will be enough. You can also stop with a tent or at roadside motels along the way.
Additional expenses
On site - absent.
Location. GPS coordinates.
This section is presented in more detail on maps.yandex.ru, so the coordinates were taken from there.
How to get there
Stella is located on the M18 federal highway, which runs from St. Petersburg to Murmansk and Severomorsk. Nearest settlement: Poyakonda (5 km northeast), Tedino. Large settlement: Kovdskoe (45 km to the north.)
The stele can also be reached by train from Poyakonda, but the feasibility of this is questionable.
Road quality
Although the M18 and the federal highway its quality leaves much to be desired. Local repair work is often carried out on it, so if you are lucky and the worst thing is patched up, then there will be no problems. If not, then there will be sections where you can only drive at a speed of 5-10 km/h
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To many, the Arctic Circle seems like some kind of distant border, beyond which there are eternally snowy, harsh regions, where frosts are always severe and strong winds blow. What is this “circle” and what does it look like?
What is the Arctic Circle?
These are imaginary lines on the surface of the Earth, lying at a latitude of 66"33" north and south of the equator - a conditional boundary beyond which natural phenomena such as polar day and night can be observed. There, the night lasts from 1 day at the latitude of the circles themselves (North and South) to 176 - at the poles themselves (North and South).
During the polar night, the sun there does not rise above the horizon at all. In the Northern Hemisphere, at the latitude of the circle, the period of night begins on December 22.
A polar day is a time when the sun does not go below the horizon. Moreover, the closer the territory is to the pole, the longer this period. At the latitude of the border itself it lasts 24 hours, and at the pole - 189 days. For example, at the latitude of Murmansk, the night can last 40 days, and the day - 61.
In the Northern Hemisphere, at the latitude of the Arctic Circle, such a day begins in June, on the 22nd. A similar phenomenon occurs in parallel in the Southern Hemisphere, but in a different half of the year.
How does the Earth move? A little about the distribution of light and heat
The Earth moves in an orbit around the Sun. In addition, it also rotates around its axis, which is inclined to the plane of the orbit of motion. When the Earth is located on one side of this orbit, the Northern Hemisphere receives more sunlight than the Southern Hemisphere.
Thus, at this time in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, it is summer and winter, respectively. And in the opposite case (the Earth is on the other side of the orbit), on the contrary - winter and summer.
The sun gives energy to all processes that occur on planet Earth. Naturally, when the sun is high above the horizon, the light falls almost vertically on the surface of the planet and, of course, heats it up more. When the sun is located low above the horizon, the rays only glide across the surface of the earth, heating it less. Therefore, there is a division into thermal zones.
Most of the light and heat are received by the territories located on both sides of the equator. Almost all year round, the sun here is constantly located high above the horizon, while strongly warming the land and ocean. This part of the earth is called the tropical zone because it is located between the tropics (North and South).
At the Earth's poles, on the contrary, it is cold all year round. Even in summer, the sun here is located quite low above the horizon. These areas are called the North and South polar belts of the Earth. Between the tropical and polar zones there are temperate zones, which are respectively limited by the Northern and Southern tropics and the very polar circles.
Arctic Circle of the Earth's Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Circle, like the Southern Circle, is one of the 5 main geographical parallels indicated on the geographical map of the planet. The Arctic Circle, whose latitude is 66°33"44", is located on the northern side of the equator. And the region located north of this circle is the Arctic. South of it is the temperate climate zone (northern).
The Arctic Circle itself represents the southern border of the territory where polar days occur.
Few people live in the territories in those places due to the harsh climate and exceptionally difficult conditions.
And yet, the Arctic Circle of Russia has on its territory three large cities with a considerable population: Murmansk, Norilsk and Vorkuta. Also here is the 4th most populous city of Tromsø (Norway).
Geography of the Arctic Circle
In Alaska, on the side of the Dalton Highway, there is a sign indicating the location of this Arctic Circle on the planet. It extends across the ocean (Arctic), the Scandinavian Peninsula, Northern Asia, North America and Greenland.
On land, this conditional border passes through the territories of eight countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the USA (Alaska), Canada, Denmark (Greenland) and Iceland.
The Arctic Circle of Russia represents beyond its borders the territories of the Arctic (the above cities).
Southern Hemisphere of the Earth
The Arctic Circle, whose latitude is 66°33"44"" south of the equator, is a parallel similar to the northern one, located in the opposite hemisphere of the planet. This is also one of the five main geographic parallels of the geographic map of the Earth.
Antarctica is located at the very south of the Arctic Circle. To the north lies the southern temperate climate zone. The Antarctic Circle itself represents the northern limit of the region of polar days and nights.
Beyond this Arctic Circle there are no indigenous people at all due to the difficult climate of Antarctica. There is a population that works at various scientific stations on this continent.
Antarctica and the Arctic, features
These geographic zones have some differences:
- Antarctica is a continent washed on all sides by the waters of seas and oceans.
- The Arctic is an ocean that lies under eternal glaciers, surrounded on all sides by land.
- People first landed on the shores of Antarctica only two hundred years ago; it has never been inhabited by people.
- People have been living in the Arctic for about four centuries.
- Antarctica is home to numerous animals (a huge number of polar birds, walruses, polar bears and musk oxen), and the Arctic is home to a large number of birds and marine mammals (large colonies of penguins, albatross, fur seals).
- It is better to travel to the Arctic from June to September, and to Antarctica from October to March.
- At any time of the year in the polar regions you can see an abundance of snow and majestic icebergs of the most amazing shapes.
Residents of the Arctic have to do without sunlight in December-January, and in the summer (June) they don’t have to turn on the lighting in their houses.
The polar sun warms rather weakly. Due to this, summers in these parts are cold and very short.