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Circle of latitude
The
60th parallel south
is a
circle of latitude
that is 60
degrees
south
of
Earth
's
equatorial plane
. No land lies on the parallel?it crosses nothing but ocean. The closest land is a group of rocks north of
Coronation Island
(Melson Rocks or Governor Islands) of the
South Orkney Islands
, which are about 54 km south of the parallel, and
Thule Island
and
Cook Island
of the
South Sandwich Islands
, which both are about 57 km north of the parallel (with Cook Island slightly closer).
[1]
The parallel marks the northern limit of the
Southern Ocean
(though some organisations and countries, notably
Australia
, have other definitions) and of the
Antarctic Treaty System
. It also marks the southern boundary of the
South Pacific Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone
and the
Latin American Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone
.
At this latitude the sun is visible for 18 hours, 52 minutes during the December solstice and 5 hours, 52 minutes during the June solstice. On December 21, the sun is at 53.44 degrees up in the sky and 6.56 degrees on June 21.
The latitudes south of this parallel are often referred to as the Screaming 60s due to the prevailing high-speed, westerly winds which can generate large waves in excess of 15 m (50 ft) and peak wind speeds over 145 km/h (90 mph).
[2]
The maximum
altitude
of the Sun is > 15.00º in April and > 8.00º in May.
The lowest latitude where
white nights
can be observed is approximately on this parallel.
During the summer solstice, nighttime does not get beyond
nautical twilight
, a condition which lasts throughout the month of December. It is possible to view both astronomical dawn and dusk every day between February 17 and October 24.
Around the world
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]
Starting at the
prime meridian
and heading eastwards, the parallel 60° south passes through:
See also
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References
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