Ignacia Valdes

Arctos: Bear in greek. Ursa major constellation.

Antarctic: No bear constellation.

Boreas: The north wind.  In classical times, the Arctic was seen as the deliverer of the north wind (Boreas),  bringing the ice and snow of winter with it to the south. So the arctic was a concept known to Mediterranean philosophers and Europeans long before any sailors ventured north to find it

What defines the arctic?

There are several ‘limits’ which can be used to define the Arctic. The most widely known is the 1) Arctic Circle
A convenient cartographical definition – the Arctic Circle is at 66°33’ 44’’N, matching the ‘Antarctic Circle’ (which is a better describer of the Antarctic region)

The Arctic Circle marks the northernmost point at

Circumpolar constellations:

Polaris is the only star which keeps its place in the sky. All other stars and constellations ‘rotate’ around the pole once daily, counterclockwise (it is actually the earth which is rotating, but this is how it appears to us). While the sky as a whole rotates, the stars don’t change their position in relation to