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Think of a warm, sandy beach on the of a tropical . You're relaxing in a hammock under the of a huge palm tree. The temperature is over 100° F, but the cool off the ocean makes it feel in the .

Now what would be the exact opposite of that mental picture? Perhaps freezing under a dozen blankets while the wind howls mercilessly outside your igloo in the middle of an ocean of ice and snow?

The Earth is a large planet. Some areas experience extreme temperatures. Have you ever wondered where on Earth it gets the coldest?

If you want to go to the coldest place on Earth, just head south...all the way south! The of Antarctica can that it's the coldest, driest, and windiest on Earth. It also happens to have the highest average of any .

Located almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, Antarctica is Earth's southernmost . It contains the South Pole and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean.

Approximately 98% of Antarctica is covered in ice that's almost a mile thick. Because it averages only about eight inches of precipitation each year, Antarctica is considered a desert. Did you ever think that a desert could be covered in ice?

The cold temperatures and overall of Antarctica make it a difficult place to live. In fact, there are no human residents of Antarctica. Throughout any given year, though, there are usually somewhere between 1,000-5,000 people living on Antarctica in stations while they conduct scientific experiments.

So how cold does it get in Antarctica? Very cold! The coldest temperature on Earth ever recorded was -128.6° F at the Russian Vostok Station in Antarctica on July 21, 1983. How cold is that? It's about 20° F colder than dry ice!

Throughout the year, Antarctica's temperatures can vary drastically . In winter, temperatures can reach as low as -112° F and below. In the summer near the coast, temperatures can rise as high as almost 60° F.

Despite these low temperatures, a big health issue year-round in Antarctica is sunburn. It's true! The snow and ice reflect almost all of the ultraviolet light that falls on the surface of Antarctica, so sunscreen is a must-have all throughout the year.

If you're wondering where the coldest permanently-inhabited place on Earth is, it's Oymyakon in the Siberia area of Russia. Oymyakon has an annual average temperature of just 3° F. The coldest month - January - boasts an average temperature of -51° F.

Oymyakon, which sits about 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle, is home to over 200,000 people. Schools there only close when the temperature dips below -61° F. Some people leave their vehicles running all day long to make sure they're ready when they need them!

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It doesn't get any colder than where Wonderopolis is going today!

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Emperor penguins are the largest penguins on Earth. At almost 4 feet tall and weighing 50 to 90 pounds, these penguins grow to be the same size as many elementary school students!

Emperor penguins live in Antarctica , the coldest on Earth. Temperatures in Antarctica can drop as low as -140° F. The shape of its body helps the emperor penguin survive life in these temperatures.

The emperor penguin 's body has a thick layer of by a thick layer of covered by feathers. These three layers provide triple protection from harsh conditions and extreme cold. In addition to trapping body heat in, the feathers also keep cold air and water out.

The emperor penguin 's diet consists mostly of fish, squid and crustaceans . It catches its dinner by diving into the sea.

Although humans can't stay underwater very long before they need to come up for a breath, emperor penguins can remain for up to 18 minutes at a time!

This is possible thanks to specialized body systems. The emperor penguin 's blood allows it to function even with very low oxygen levels. In order to use as little oxygen as possible while diving, the emperor penguin can also slow its metabolism and stop any nonessential organ functions.

Each winter, the emperor penguin walks 30 to 75 miles over ice to . A single breeding can include thousands of penguins.

When a female emperor lays an egg, she immediately rolls it onto the father penguin's feet. Male penguins care for the eggs until it is hatching time. During this time, male penguins can lose up to half of their body weight because they stay on shore caring for the egg and do not return to the sea to eat.

About seven weeks after birth, emperor penguin chicks form groups called " creches." The penguins in a huddle together for protection and warmth, but they continue to be fed by their parents. Emperor penguin chicks can identify their parents from the group of adult penguins by the sound of their call.

At six months of age, emperor penguin chicks are fully grown. At this time, the adult penguins and all the chicks return to the open sea together. In the wild, emperor penguins live to be about 20, although some have lived to be 50 years old.

The emperor penguin , along with nine other species of penguins, may soon be included under the United States Endangered Species Act. Warming seas and industrial fishing have begun to change fish populations, making it more difficult for penguins to find enough food. The emperor's habit and breeding colonies are also becoming disrupted by .

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Emperor penguins are the largest penguins on Earth. At almost 4 feet tall and weighing 50 to 90 pounds, these penguins grow to be the same size as many elementary school students! Emperor penguins live in Antarctica , the coldest on Earth. Temperatures in Antarctica can drop as low as -140° F.

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Would you like to hear a joke? Okay, here it is: Why can't penguins fly?

Any ideas?

It's because they don't have enough money to buy plane tickets!

Okay, so that's an old joke, but we still like it! And it made us WONDER...why can't penguins fly? After all, they are birds, aren't they?

Yes, penguins are , flightless birds that live in the Southern Hemisphere --especially Antarctica. Unlike the wings of other birds, penguins' wings are more like that make them well- for life in the water.

In fact, penguins swimming through water looks quite similar to birds flying through the sky. Their feathers trap air, which makes them more in the water and them from the cold water.

Penguins spend about half their time in the water and half their time on land. And their don't just help them swim! When they're on land, their and their tails help them keep their and walk .

Have you ever seen a penguin walk? Their walk looks more like a waddle, and they don't move very fast. If a penguin wants to move quickly, it slides on its belly! This is a movement called " tobogganing " after a northern method of sledding.

Okay, so a penguin's help them a lot. Still, why can't they fly? Scientists believe penguins can't fly because they likely had little or no threat from predators in their past. That means they never evolved to fly because they didn't have anything to fly away from. Instead, these birds evolved to become more to better survive in their habitat. They relied on the oceans for food, so developing to swim well was more important than growing wings to fly.

As they exist today, it's easy to see why penguins can't fly. Their , adapted for life in the water, simply cannot get their cute, chunky bodies into the sky. This is especially true for the largest species of penguin, the Emperor Penguin. Emperor Penguins stand over three feet tall and can weigh 75 pounds or more. They'd need some pretty strong wings to fly through the air!

It's easy to see why penguins would choose advanced swimming ability over flying. How about you? Would you rather glide gracefully through water or through the air? There are definitely advantages to both, as we can see from all our bird friends!

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Would you like to hear a joke? Okay, here it is: Why can't penguins fly? Any ideas? It's because they don't have enough money to buy plane tickets! Okay, so that's an old joke, but we still like it! And it made us WONDER...why can't penguins fly?

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As you your ship at the of the floating of , you scan the for signs of life. You can't wait to hit the and get started exploring this cold, world. Suddenly your binoculars focus in on movement.

What could it be? As your eyes strain to make sense of the blurry motion, you realize you've found a large group of flightless birds that are all dressed up and ready to greet you. What are we talking about? Penguins, of course!

Wouldn't it be cool to explore the edges of the world and spend some time with penguins? They're super cute, especially since their coloring makes them look like they're wearing tuxedos.

In addition to their appearance, you can also recognize penguins immediately by their tell-tale . As they make their way across the , they along, seeming to take their time without a care in the world.

If you've ever watched a , you may have WONDERed: do penguins have knees? After all, if you didn't have knees, you'd probably , too!

If you were to x-ray a 's legs, you would discover that penguins do indeed have knees! In fact, a 's leg is made up of four parts: a , knee, tibia, and - the same bones you have in your leg!

Why do their legs look so short then? It's a bit of an illusion, because a 's upper legs are hidden by their feathers.

So penguins do have knees. And their legs are longer than they look, because the upper parts are hidden by feathers. Why would they then, if they have knees?

That question puzzled scientists for quite a while. Most scientists today believe that penguins because their legs were designed to help them faster.

If you look closely at a 's legs, you'll notice that they're set far back on the body. This makes it more difficult to walk on land, as it requires more energy to move quickly. Also, penguins walk on the soles of their feet instead of their toes like other birds. As a result, waddling helps penguins to maximize their momentum while using the least amount of energy.

Since penguins spend as much as 75% of their time in the water, their bodies have evolved to be able to move quickly through the water. They use their tails and feet as rudders, and their flippers act much like wings do on other birds - essentially, penguins "fly" through the water!

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As you your ship at the of the floating of , you scan the for signs of life. You can't wait to hit the and get started exploring this cold, world. Suddenly your binoculars focus in on movement. What could it be?