Stars: North, South & Equator Positions

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the visibility of stars from different geographical locations on Earth, specifically comparing the North Pole, South Pole, and the equator. Participants explore the implications of Earth's axial tilt and how it affects star visibility over time, as well as addressing the nature of astronomical images and representations of the universe.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that people at the North Pole see a different set of stars compared to those at the South Pole, suggesting that the Big Dipper would not be visible from the South Pole.
  • Others argue that the visibility of stars changes with latitude, as illustrated by personal experiences of participants living in different locations, such as Brasil and Sydney.
  • A participant raises a question about the long-term effects of Earth's axial tilt on star visibility throughout the year.
  • There is a discussion regarding the authenticity of images of the universe, with some participants expressing skepticism about artistic renditions versus actual photographs from telescopes like Hubble.
  • Personal anecdotes are shared about experiences observing the night sky from various locations, highlighting the unfamiliarity of stars outside one's home region.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that star visibility varies by location, but there is no consensus on the specifics of which stars are visible from which locations. The discussion about the nature of astronomical images remains contested, with differing opinions on their authenticity.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about star visibility depend on geographical location and personal experience, which may not be universally applicable. The discussion includes assumptions about the viewer's knowledge and familiarity with the night sky.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in astronomy, star observation, and the effects of Earth's geography on celestial visibility may find this discussion relevant.

buzzdiamond
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Would people on the north pole see a totally different set of stars than people standing on the south pole..? Would the Big Dipper be visible from the South Pole..? Would people living on the equator see even a different set of stars..?
 
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buzzdiamond said:
Would people on the north pole see a totally different set of stars than people standing on the south pole..?

What do you think and why?
 
I believe you can only see certain stars from the north pole and certain stars from the south pole. Because up from the north pole is down from the south pole and you can't see through the ground. So you wouldn't see the big dipper from the south pole.
 
That's good.

Now think about what is the long-term ramification of the fact that the Earth has a slightly tilted axis relative to its rotation around the sun. Does that change the picture any over the course of a year?
 
buzzdiamond, Welcome to Physics Forums!

phinds is correct in what he has said. Just to elaborate with an example: I live in Brasil at 10 degrees South latitude. Here the "Big Dipper" is visible low in the North, and the "Southern Cross" is high in the Southern sky. Where is the "Big Dipper" located in your sky? Can you see the "Southern Cross" from where you are?
 
Hey guys, thanks for having me. I don't really now much about the physics or positions and/or how everything is calculated, but I have some theories and many questions and/or doubts about things.

It seems like many images we see of our galaxy and/or our universe are only renditions by artists, thus only guess's and not what's really there. Am I way off base..?
 
buzzdiamond said:
It seems like many images we see of our galaxy and/or our universe are only renditions by artists, thus only guess's and not what's really there. Am I way off base..?

thats a little bit of an oddball thing to say ;)
do have a specific example ? some images somewhere we can look at and tell you if they are real or not ?

Im in Sydney, Australia, much further south than Bobbywhy, and from here we don't see the big or little dipper at all
The net is full of real photos of our and other galaxies ... go to the Hubble Space Telescope image archive site as an example

http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/

cheers
Dave
 
I am at 45N. Currently the Big Dipper is low in the North. I never have knowingly seen the Southern Cross. I may have had a opportunity 40yrs ago when I was In Guantanamo Bay at 20N. Then, I was familiar with the circum (N) polar stars from Boy Scouts. When I looked at the stars in Gitmo it was just foreign, I had no idea what I was seeing. It was not knowing that sky that drew me to a book on Naked eye astronomy after I was out of the Navy.
 
Integral said:
I am at 45N. Currently the Big Dipper is low in the North. I never have knowingly seen the Southern Cross. I may have had a opportunity 40yrs ago when I was In Guantanamo Bay at 20N. Then, I was familiar with the circum (N) polar stars from Boy Scouts. When I looked at the stars in Gitmo it was just foreign, I had no idea what I was seeing. It was not knowing that sky that drew me to a book on Naked eye astronomy after I was out of the Navy.

I have traveled to the nthrn hemisphere a number of times now. One of the more surreal and awesome views of the nthrn sky came from my visit to Hawaii in 1999. A couple of friends took me out to the lava flows on the "Big Island". It was daylight when we walked out there, but we stayed to well after dark and to have the lava flowing right beside us as we sat/stood under a glorious clear night sky was amazing. Hilo's lights were far enough away that they didnt light up the sky.

Dave
 
  • #10
buzzdiamond said:
It seems like many images we see of our galaxy and/or our universe are only renditions by artists, thus only guess's and not what's really there. Am I way off base..?

WAY off base. Goggle "Hubble Space Telescope images"
 
  • #11
phinds said:
WAY off base. Goggle "Hubble Space Telescope images"

yup just what I said a few posts back ;)

hopefully he will listen to us both and get to realize the whole real universe out there :)


Dave
 

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