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Q:
Hi i was wondering if you could please tell me why is it that if we rotate around the sun (12hrs facing/12 hrs facing away) we seem to always be able to see certain star formations (southern cross, etc)?
I mean at 1 half of the year (say Jan 1) we are technically facing out (during night time) to one side of our universe & then at the other (June 1) we would be facing the opposite side... do the stars orbit as well & if so at what level?
Thank you
- Phill (age 22)
Perth, Western Australia
A:
It's a matter of the latitude where you live and the celestial latitude of the particular constellation. You Australians live in a southern latitude, about 32
o South for Perth,
I live in Urbana, Illinois about 42
o North. You can see the Southern Cross year-round because it's celestial latitude is about 60
o South but you will never see the Big Dipper or the North Star. I can see the Big Dipper year-round but never the Southern Cross. Stars and constellations closer to the celestial equator go in and out of visibility annually, in just the way you pictured..
See
http://www.dibonsmith.com/downunder.htm for some hints.
LeeH
(published on 05/02/2009)
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