Arctic Circle

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/arctic-circle

1. What is the precise latitude?
2. Why does the sun stay out of the sky for 24 hours at the Arctic Circle in winter?
3. How long does the midnight sun last near the Arctic Circle?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the precise latitude?66° 33′ 50.7″ North
2. Why does the sun stay out of the sky for 24 hours at the Arctic Circle in winter?During the winter solstice the Earth’s tilt makes the part of Earth north of the Arctic Circle point away from the sun. Because of this tilt, the sun never rises above the horizon for a full day there.
3. How long does the midnight sun last near the Arctic Circle?Near the Arctic Circle the midnight sun can last about 20 days of continuous daylight, like in Murmansk. The longer the place is north, the longer the daylight stays.

Obliquity: The angle of inclination of Earth's axis relative to its orbital plane, which varies over long periods.
Tidal Forces: Gravitational forces exerted by celestial bodies, like the Moon, that cause deformations in other bodies.
Axial Precession: The slow wobble of Earth's rotational axis, affecting the position of the poles and equinoxes over thousands of years.