If stars should always be visible, where should you be located on earth?
Can I answer this considering the celestial sphere and the ecliptic? I am not sure how...
There is no place on Earth where stars are always visible. You would have to be near the north pole March 21-Sept 21 and near the south pole during the other six months of the year. There might be many nights that are clouded out in those locations.
If you are content to see stars at night only, the best place to be is at a high altitude in a dry climate near the equator, such as Mauna Kea or the Chilean Andes, where the largest telescopes are already located.
Thanks!
Yes, you can answer this question by considering the celestial sphere and the ecliptic. To determine where you should be located on Earth in order to see stars at all times, you need to understand a few concepts.
1. Celestial Sphere: The celestial sphere is an imaginary sphere of infinite radius surrounding Earth, onto which all celestial objects are projected. It serves as a model to simplify the observation and study of celestial phenomena.
2. Ecliptic: The ecliptic is the apparent path that the Sun appears to follow across the celestial sphere over the course of a year. It is tilted at an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees relative to the celestial equator.
Now, if stars should always be visible, it means that they should remain above the horizon at all times, without any obstruction from the Earth's curvature. In order for this to occur, you need to be positioned at a specific latitude on Earth.
The maximum latitude at which you can always see stars depends on the tilt of the Earth's axis (approximately 23.5 degrees). To calculate this latitude, you need to subtract the tilt angle from 90 degrees, as the celestial pole is located at 90 degrees latitude.
Therefore, the maximum latitude at which stars should always be visible is 90 degrees - 23.5 degrees = 66.5 degrees.
This means that if you are located above 66.5 degrees latitude (either in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere), you should be able to see stars at all times, as they would never dip below the horizon. The closer you are to the poles, the longer the period of continuous star visibility.
However, please note that other factors, such as atmospheric conditions, light pollution, and local obstructions, may affect actual star visibility, even if you are located within the maximum latitude range.