The Cold and Dark Zones of Planet Earth. The Arctic and Antarctic Circles.

Where do you think the coldest part of the world is?  Did you say "the South Pole"?  Yes!  That is correct!  In 2013 record cold temperatures were recorded on the East Antarctic Plateau, temperatures  got down to "negative 135 degrees Fahrenheit"  https://www.livescience.com/62918-coldest-place-on-earth.html

                                                       (Image: © Ted Scambos, NSIDC/University of Colorado-Boulder)
Does this surprise anyone?  Ummm, not me.  Within the Arctic and Antarctic circles the temperatures are frigid, and is it possible that the temperatures could be colder and there isn't anyone there to measure them because it is just so freaking cold??

These circles mark where the Sun doesn't shine for 6 months out of the year.  The Sun will remain either above the line for 6 months or out of sight for 6 months.  What does that even look like?  If you live near the circle, this would be your view for about 6 months...

Here is a polar night in Antarctica: This is with a full moon and an Aurora Astralis giving some light to the "night". 

                                          By Chris Danals, National Science Foundation 

So how long exactly is "polar night"?  

Depending on where you are standing according to latitude, the northern most part of the Earth and the southern most part of the Earth are completely dark, 24 hours a day, for 60 days.  The rest of the time is considered "twilight".  There is a glow on the horizon letting you know that the Sun is still out there, you are just tipped far enough you can't see it yet...

Of course this phenomenon can only occur if our Earth is tilted toward the Sun or away from the Sun on it's journey around the Sun. 

Where could we live and experience this phenomena?  I know the place; Tromso, Norway.  

This is a polar night in Tromso.  The Sun doesn't rise from November to January.  The days get longer and during May to July Tromso experiences the "Midnight Sun".  

Surprisingly people don't get depressed in Tromso due to the Sun and lack of Sun, they go about their lives quite happily.  In fact they don't call it night, they call it the "blue period".  

So interesting!  I hope each of you get the chance to travel to different places on the Earth and experience all that the Earth offers, environments, oceans, heat and cold.  This is an amazing place to live.