POLAR EXPLORATION
CHAPTER I
ASTRONOMICAL FEATURES OF THE
POLAR REGIONS
From the earliest days of European civilisation it has been customary to define the direction of the sun at noon as well as the opposite direction. South and north are the terms that have been used by north-western Europe: hence North Pole for that end of the earth's axis towards which Europe stretches, and South Pole for the other end of the axis. Now there are very definite peculiarities of these two mathematical points, and I give a few of these to set the reader thinking.
1. The sun is continuously above the horizon for six months, from our spring to our autumn equinoxes, and continuously below the horizon for the other six months.
2. But there is only one time, namely noon, because all longitudes converge at the North Pole: whether it be light or dark it is always noon, because the sun is always due south.
11
