Glossary term: Cercle polaire

Description: Les cercles polaires sont des lignes de latitude sur la Terre. Le cercle polaire situé à 66°33′48,8″ N est appelé cercle polaire arctique et le cercle polaire situé à 66°33′48,8″ S est appelé cercle polaire antarctique. En raison de l'inclinaison de l'axe de rotation de la Terre, les régions situées au nord du cercle polaire arctique et au sud du cercle polaire antarctique connaissent des "nuits polaires" pendant leur hiver et des "jours polaires" pendant leur été. Au cours d'une nuit polaire, le Soleil est sous l'horizon pendant plus de 24 heures et cette période d'obscurité peut durer des mois. Pendant un jour polaire, le Soleil est au-dessus de l'horizon pendant plus de 24 heures et cela peut durer des mois. Les jours et les nuits polaires sont plus longs près des pôles. Les nuits polaires se produisent avant et après le solstice d'hiver de chaque région polaire, tandis que les jours polaires se produisent avant et après le solstice d'été.

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Term and definition status: The original definition of this term in English have been approved by a research astronomer and a teacher
The translation of this term and its definition is still awaiting approval

The OAE Multilingual Glossary is a project of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) in collaboration with the IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (OAO). The terms and definitions were chosen, written and reviewed by a collective effort from the OAE, the OAE Centers and Nodes, the OAE National Astronomy Education Coordinators (NAECs) and other volunteers. You can find a full list of credits here. All glossary terms and their definitions are released under a Creative Commons CC BY-4.0 license and should be credited to "IAU OAE".

Related Media

Seven images of the Sun. From the left it sinks, reaching its lowest in the centre image, before rising higher to the right.

When the Sun Bounces

Caption: This image was taken at Norway's North Cape. Owing to the latitude of this location, the Sun never truly sets during the summer months, from around April to August. This results in the unique spectacle of continuous daylight, known as a polar day. This captivating series of images, taken in 2022, showcases the Sun's relentless journey across the horizon every 30 minutes. At its lowest point in the sky, the Sun does not set, but appears to bounce off the horizon. The globe on the far right in the photo stands as a sentinel, marking the northernmost point of the European continental mainland.
Credit: Milos Obert/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

24 images of the Sun around the edge of a circular image. In the lowest image, a black circle blocks the centre of the Sun.

The Eclipse Clock-Eclipse on a Polar Day

Caption: Constructed by combining multiple images over the course of a 24-hour period, the image was captured in Union Glacier, Antarctica, during the total solar eclipse of 4 December 2021, and showcases the day arc of the Sun. It illustrates the unique phenomenon of a polar day, during which the Sun travels around the sky without setting. During polar days, areas within the polar circles experience 24 hours of continuous daylight, and the Sun doesn’t set for an extended period. The image also offers a rare perspective of a solar eclipse, where the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, and as viewed from Earth. This can be seen in the lower image of the Sun, where the Moon covers the solar disc.
Credit: Stephanie Ziyi Ye/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

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Discover Earth's climate with a balloon

astroEDU educational activity (links to astroEDU website)
Description: Discover the secrets of Earth's climate zones with a hands-on experience

License: CC-BY-4.0 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons

Age Ranges: 8-10 , 10-12
Education Level: Middle School , Primary
Areas of Learning: Fun activity , Guided-discovery learning , Modelling , Observation based , Project-based learning , Social Research
Costs: Low Cost
Duration: 45 mins
Group Size: Group
Skills: Asking questions , Constructing explanations , Developing and using models

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