Tropic of Cancer

From Freepedia

Tropic of Cancer is also the name of a novel by Henry Miller, first published in 1934.

Image:WorldMapLongLat-special-lats-emph-TropicofCancer-non.png The Tropic of Cancer (cancer (♋) is Latin for crab), one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth, is the parallel of latitude that lies 23° 26' 22" north of the Equator.

The line is called the Tropic of Cancer because when it was named, the sun was in the constellation of Cancer when it appeared directly overhead at this latitude during the June solstice. However, due to precession of the equinoxes, the June solstice is now in the constellation Taurus.

It is the farthest northern latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead. North of this line is the Northern Temperate Zone. The Tropic of Capricorn is at the opposite latitude south of the Equator. South of the Tropic of Cancer and north of the Tropic of Capricorn are the Tropics.

According to Fédération Aéronautique Internationale's rules, to qualify as a circumnavigation, a flight must be no less than the length of Tropic of Cancer (36,787.559 km), as well as cross all meridians and end on the same airfield where it started.