like north,south,east,or west
2007-01-27 07:30:41 · 6 answers · asked by De3p 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
There is no North South East or West in space. You can use stars, planets and galaxies to find your way, but NSEW are terrestrial measurements of direction.
2007-01-27 07:34:39 · answer #1 · answered by Mickey Mouse Spears 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, but most of the other answers here are wrong.
You can find directions in space -- at least if you are not too far away from Earth. Anywhere in the Milky-way galaxy will do.
North, south, east, and west are defined in space, by the direction of certain quasars. These are called "celestial" directions, and are not the same as directions on Earth. The quasars are so very far away, that when you move around in our galaxy, they don't seem to move.
About 600 quasars are used; if you can find three of them, then you can figure out which way is celestial north, east, etc. If you don't have a radio telescope with you, then you will not be able to find the quasars.
In that case, you can use the known positions of stars. But when you use stars, you need to be close to the Earth; if you are within 1 or 2 light-years you can find directions okay. Certainly if you are inside the solar system you can find directions from the stars. For example, the star Polaris is in the direction of north (actually off by 1 degree, but you can use other stars to find exact north). Polaris is 430 light-years away from Earth.
There are lists, like the Hipparcos Catalogue, that give the position of 1000's of stars.
2007-01-27 08:30:29 · answer #2 · answered by morningfoxnorth 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Space is any direction. Space is defined as everywhere except down here on earth, then there is no absolute point to define any center. You can decide that something is this way towards the center of the galaxy, for instance, or something like that.
But that is all you can do, a direction is always relative to something.
2007-01-27 07:35:35 · answer #3 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably the only way to find a direction out of space would be to make a reference to another object in space... like towards mars.
2007-01-27 07:38:54 · answer #4 · answered by m m 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, they are fairly meaningless unless you can relate back to earth.
2007-01-27 07:34:29 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
LOL, dude..NO! These only make sense on a planet!
2007-01-27 07:34:51 · answer #6 · answered by hendrik k 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋