Dispatch 5: Crossing the Arctic Circle
Cape Dyer, Baffin Island, Nunavut (Nicolas Sylvestre)
Glaciers on the coast of Baffin Island. (Hayleigh Shannon)
The rugged coastline of Baffin Island. (Birgit Rogalla)
Kim Bedard & Jasmine Wietzke
September 9, 2020
We crossed the Arctic Circle today! Located at 66°33’ N, this latitude marks the most southerly line where, for at least one day, the sun does not dip below the horizon in the summer now above the horizon in the winter. This is due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis and the planet’s location relative to the sun. Near the summer and winter solstices, this polar phenomenon brings a summer midnight sun and winter polar nights. The Arctic Circle is a special place few people get to visit, yet our team has had the honour of doing it by ship!