At which circle does the sun remain visible for 24 hours on the summer solstice?

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At which circle does the Sun remain visible for 24 hours on the summer solstice? The Arctic Circle.

At the June, or Northern Hemisphere summer, solstice, Earth’s North Pole is tilted toward the Sun. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude where the Sun can remain on or above the horizon continuously for roughly 24 hours. This phenomenon is called the midnight sun or polar day.

The Arctic Circle lies at approximately 66°34′ north, or 66.56° N. At the circle itself, idealized geometric calculations place the Sun on the horizon at midnight on the solstice. North of the circle, the Sun remains above the horizon for at least one full day, with the continuous-daylight period growing longer toward the North Pole.

A frequent mistake is choosing the Tropic of Cancer, which is where the Sun can appear directly overhead at the June solstice. The Antarctic Circle experiences the opposite condition then: polar night, with the Sun below the horizon. During the December solstice, these effects switch hemispheres.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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