Go South, My Friends!

GREETINGS, GREETINGS, STAR GAZERS.

I M TRACE DOMINGUEZ.

ASTRONOMERS VISUALIZE THE STARS IN THE SKY
AS BEING GLUED TO THE INSIDE OF A FICTIONAL

SPHERE THAT SURROUNDS THE EARTH KNOWN AS THE
CELESTIAL SPHERE.

WHEN WE LOOK UP AT THE SKY THE HORIZON BLOCKS
OUR VIEW OF THE CELESTIAL SPHERE, BUT, OF

COURSE, THE EARTH ROTATES!

THIS MEANS, SOME STARS APPEAR TO RISE AND
SET AT THE LINE OF THE HORIZON.

AT ANY GIVEN LOCATION ON THE EARTH, THERE
ARE STARS ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE THAT WILL

NEVER MOVE ABOVE THE HORIZON!

WHICH IS WHY THE SKY LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM
DIFFERENT PLACES ON THE PLANET.

FOR EXAMPLE: HERE IS WHAT THE WINTER SKY LOOKS
LIKE IN NORTH AMERICA FROM MY HOMETOWN IN

MICHIGAN.

WE CAN SEE FAMILIAR CONSTELLATIONS - THE BIG
DIPPER, THE LITTLE DIPPER, ORION, THE NORTH

STAR, POLARIS -- ALIGNED WITH THE NORTH POLE

BUT LET S SAY WE GO ON A TRIP SOUTH.

AS WE MOVE, THE HORIZON SHIFTS REVEALING MORE
STARS, AND HIDING OTHERS.

AS WE PASS THE EQUATOR; POLARIS WILL NEVER
RISE OR SET

NO MORE NORTH STAR!

AS WE CONTINUE SOUTH THE CELESTIAL SPHERE
CHANGES EVEN MORE AND AT 20 OR 30 DEGREES

SOUTH LATITUDE WE BEGIN TO SEE TWO LARGE FUZZY
OBJECTS POPPING UP ABOVE THE HORIZON.

THESE TWO FUZZY OBJECTS ARE OTHER GALAXIES
IN ORBIT AROUND OUR OWN MILKY WAY.

THEY RE KNOWN AS THE LARGE AND SMALL MAGELLANIC
CLOUDS.

THEY ARE ONLY VISIBLE FROM SOUTHERN LATITUDES
ON EARTH AND WERE DISCOVERED BY FERDINAND

MAGELLAN DURING HIS CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE
WORLD.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER NOTABLE CONSTELLATIONS
AND ASTERISMS THAT ARE ONLY VISIBLE FROM THE

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE.

FOR EXAMPLE, THERE S NO BRIGHT STAR AT THE
POLE, INSTEAD THERE IS SIGMA OCTANTIS.

IT'S ABOUT 25 TIMES FAINTER AND NOT AS EASY
TO FIND IN THE SKY AS POLARIS, BUT IT S

THERE, THOUGH IT S MUCH EASIER TO LOOK FOR
THE CONSTELLATION OF CRUX, ALSO KNOWN AS THE

SOUTHERN CROSS.

YOU CAN SEE IT FROM HAWAII, FLORIDA, OR TEXAS
IN THE US IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK -- HINT:

LOOK SOUTH.

RIGHT NEXT TO CRUX, IS THE WELL KNOWN COAL
SACK NEBULA, WHICH IS AN AREA OF VERY DENSE

INTERSTELLAR DUST OBSCURING OUR VIEW OF STARS
BEHIND IT.

THE SOUTHERN SKY HAS MORE THAN ITS SHARE OF
CELESTIAL ATTRACTIONS, BUT REMEMBER, THE SEASONS

ARE REVERSED, SO THE SUMMER TRIANGLE AND ORION
ARE NOT ONLY UPSIDE DOWN, BUT THE FORMER APPEARS

IN THE WINTER AND THE LATTER APPEARS IN THE
SUMMER!

THE THING THAT BLEW MY MIND IS TO US, THE
MOON IS UPSIDE DOWN IN THE SOUTHERN SKY.

THE FAMILIAR FACE IN THE MOON BECOMES THE
MOUSE IN THE MOON.

IF YOU GET A CHANCE, LOOKING AT THE SKY IN
ANOTHER PART OF THE WORLD IS A WHOLE NEW ADVENTURE,

SO AS ALWAYS

EVEN WHEN TRAVELING, KEEP LOOKING UP!