Though inaccessible for most of the year, it is possible to travel to the North Pole in June and July when the ice is thinner, or in April if travelling via helicopter. All North Pole voyages start and end in Helsinki, Finland, from where you’ll fly by charter plane to Murmansk, in Northwest Russia to board your ship.

There are a number of reasons why the polar regions remains cold, even in summer. The primary reason is that the sun is low on the horizon all day. Thus, solar energy needs to pass through more atmosphere to get to the ground. In addition to being cold, the Arctic and Antarctic are also very dry.

But even during the polar day, the period of continuous sunlight, only a relatively small amount of solar energy reaches the Arctic or Antarctic regions due to the low angle of incoming rays. These two phenomena thus form the basis for sustained cold conditions in the northern and southern polar regions.

The coldest places on Earth tend to be located near the poles. Polar regions do not receive direct sunlight during the winter months due to the tilt in the Earth’s axis. Hence, polar regions can get very cold. Antarctica, the large land mass in the Southern Hemisphere, is the coldest place on Earth.

No one actually lives at the North Pole. Inuit people, who live in the nearby Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and Russia, have never made homes at the North Pole. The ice is constantly moving, making it nearly impossible to establish a permanent community.

Yes, planes can fly over the North Pole. Many flights from North America to Europe and North America to Asia, and vice versa, cross the North Pole in an effort to cut flight time and save fuel.

Which of these cities is closest to the South Pole?

• Chile – Punta Arenas – 4110 km or 2554 miles.
• Falkland Islands – Stanley – 4273 km or 2655 miles.
• New Zealand – Wellington – 5429 km or 3374 miles.
• South Africa – Cape Town – 6247 km or 3882 miles.

Distance from Antarctica to New Zealand is 4,989 kilometers. The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between Antarctica and New Zealand is 4,989 km= 3,100 miles.

about seven days

However, in Antarctica, taking anything is banned. This includes rocks, feathers, bones, eggs and any kind of biological material including traces of soil. Taking anything man-made is also completely banned, as some might actually be research equipment.