The
45th parallel south is a
circle of latitude that is 45
° south of the
Earth's equator. It is the line that marks the theoretical halfway point between the
equator and the
South Pole. The true halfway point is south of this parallel because
Earth is not a perfect
sphere, but
bulges at the equator and is
flattened at the poles. Unlike its
northern counterpart, almost all (97%) of it passes through open ocean. It crosses the
South Atlantic Ocean, the
Indian Ocean,
Australasia (
New Zealand and just south of
Tasmania), the
Southern Ocean, and
Patagonia. At this latitude,
daytime lasts for 15 hours, 37 minutes during the
December solstice and 8 hours, 46 minutes during the
June solstice for the dates in 2024. This holds true regardless of longitude. The
midday Sun stands 21.17° above the northern horizon at the
June solstice, 68.83° at the
December solstice, and exactly 45.0° at either
equinox.
Around the world Starting at the
Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 45° south passes through: : ==See also==