Q. On June 21 every year, which of the following latitude(s) experience(s) a sunlight of more than 12 hours?
1. Equator
2. Tropic of Cancer
3. Tropic of Capricorn
4. Arctic Circle
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 2 and 4
Correct answer: (d) 2 and 4
Question from UPSC Prelims 2024 GS Paper
Explanation:
Latitude(s) experience(s) a sunlight of more than 12 hours
Let’s think through the characteristics of each latitude on June 21st, which is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere:
1. Equator (0°): The equator always experiences 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness, regardless of the date.
2. Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N): On June 21st, this is where the Sun is directly overhead at noon. It experiences the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere on this date.
3. Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S): On June 21st, this is in the Southern Hemisphere experiencing its winter solstice, so it has less than 12 hours of daylight.
4. Arctic Circle (66.5°N): On June 21st, this latitude experiences 24 hours of daylight (the “midnight sun”).
Therefore, the latitudes that experience more than 12 hours of sunlight on June 21st are the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle.
The correct answer is (d) 2 and 4.