72nd parallel south

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72°
72nd parallel south

The 72nd parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 72 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane in the Antarctic. The parallel passes through the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.

This is the parallel where twilight/nighttime boundary on the equinoxes.

This is also the lowest parallel that golden hour occurs even at midnight sun, because the Sun is less than 6°00'00" above the horizon. Midnight sun without golden hour occurs at latitudes greater than 72°33'38.58804", i.e., about 666.8 km (414.3 mi) south of the Antarctic Circle in the case of the December Solstice.

Around the world

Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 72° south passes through:

CoordinatesContinent or oceanNotes
72°0′S0°0′E / 72.000°S 0.000°E / -72.000; 0.000 (Prime Meridian) Antarctica Queen Maud Land, claimed by Flag of Norway.svg  Norway
72°0′S45°0′E / 72.000°S 45.000°E / -72.000; 45.000 Western Australian Antarctic Territory, claimed by Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
72°0′S136°0′E / 72.000°S 136.000°E / -72.000; 136.000 Adélie Land, claimed by Flag of France.svg  France
72°0′S142°0′E / 72.000°S 142.000°E / -72.000; 142.000 Eastern Australian Antarctic Territory, claimed by Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
72°0′S160°0′E / 72.000°S 160.000°E / -72.000; 160.000 Ross Dependency, claimed by Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
72°0′S170°38′E / 72.000°S 170.633°E / -72.000; 170.633 (Southern Ocean) Southern Ocean Ross Sea, south of the Pacific Ocean
72°0′S102°15′W / 72.000°S 102.250°W / -72.000; -102.250 Antarctica Thurston Island, off coast Ellsworth Land, unclaimed territory
72°0′S95°36′W / 72.000°S 95.600°W / -72.000; -95.600 (Southern Ocean) Southern Ocean Bellingshausen Sea, south of the Pacific Ocean
72°0′S74°21′W / 72.000°S 74.350°W / -72.000; -74.350 (Antarctica) Antarctica Alexander Island and Antarctic Peninsula - claimed by Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina, Flag of Chile.svg  Chile and Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom (overlapping claims)
72°0′S60°5′W / 72.000°S 60.083°W / -72.000; -60.083 (Southern Ocean) Southern Ocean Weddell Sea, south of the Atlantic Ocean
72°0′S14°33′W / 72.000°S 14.550°W / -72.000; -14.550 (Antarctica) Antarctica Queen Maud Land, claimed by Flag of Norway.svg  Norway

See also