seeing the sky around the world, is it the same piece of sky?

Question

i told a friend that i could see orions belt, originally from the UK im now in SA and thought for some reason i was seeing it upside down, myself and my friend discussed and could come to no conclusion, so am i still seeing similar sky where i am as i did back home?

Answer 1

Never heard of more than one

Answer 2

The biggest change affecting the appearance of the sky is a change in latitude.

If you are at 50 degrees North latitude (e.g., Falmouth, UK), stars that have a declination of 50 North will pass directly overhead. The Pole Star (to the North) will be 50 degrees above the horizon.

Orion will pass to the south, looking definitely "right-side-up"; his belt (almost exactly on the celestial equator) will be 40 degrees above the southern horizon when Orion is due South.

Orion's head (declination 10 N) is 10 degrees higher than the belt.


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Move to the Falkland Islands (near latitude 50 South).

The (North) Pole star is now 50 degrees below the horizon. The celestial equator passes to the North of you. Orion's belt (still on the celestial equator) is 40 degrees above the NORTHERN horizon. Orion's head is 10 degrees further north = BELOW the belt.

Orion is upside down.

Answer 3

Well, yes and no. The Earth is very tiny and the universe very big, so the sky is much the same. But what part of it you can see from the surface of this little planet will vary depending on where you're standing. For example, you can see the Southern Cross from where you are now. But, here in the southern US, I can't see it. And, Orion appears upside down where you are. Same stars, just a different viewing angle.

Answer 4

Wow, no one here has answered your question yet.

Orion is visible from both the UK and South Africa. or South Australia, whichever SA you happen to be in. But in the southern hemisphere, you are upside down compared to when you are in the UK, so of course Orion, the Moon, and all the other things in the sky look upside down.

There are some constellations that are so far north they cannot be seen in the southern hemisphere, and vice versa.

Answer 5

You are seeing a somewhat different sky than you saw in the UK, because you are viewing it from a different location on the globe, Earth. Orion is located close to the celestial equator, so is visible from both hemispheres, but from a different perspective. Northerners see Orion's Belt with his Sword hanging downward. Southerners see The Frying Pan, with the handle sticking upwards. It's the same six stars, but seen from different viewpoints.

Answer 6

You are seeing part of the same area differently and more of an area you never see.

At the north pole you wouldn't see orion's belt because it would be at or below the horizon only the top half is visible

At the south pole you'd only see the bottom half but it wuld be upside down.

You probably don't see the Big Dipper at all there.

Answer 7

Yes the constellation in the southern hemisphere will appear upside down. There are others that are not visible in the northern hemisphere. Such as The Southern Cross, which appear on the Australian and New Zealand flags. SA, South Africa or South America?

Answer 8

Over two thousand years ago Heraclitus said "You cannot step twice into the same river". However the constellations are so far away that there will be no difference. The problem with your observations is that one is above and one is below the equator. So some of the stars visible to one observer may not be visible to the other.

Answer 9

As I understand it, the Northern hemisphere constellations are different from the Southern hemisphere ones.

But if orion was close to the horizon, it might appear one way up from the North and the other way up from the south.

The Earth itself would have to flip upside down for constellations to look the same from both ends!

Answer 10

Ophiuchus, the thirteenth sign The constellation, Ophiuchus, would be in appropriate alignment with our solar and the middle of the Milky way in Dec. 2012 frightening, huh ? This poem is remarkable interior the element and power. it fairly is a circle interior of a circle. fairly, It became of very knowledgeable and sensible learn so you might have written this. Touche'

Answer 11

The stars you're used to seeing are probably more directly over head, while others are lower on the horizon, but the shape & location of those stars won't change.