The night sky object shows up in different locations on the sky depending on the clock time, date, and location of observation. Stellarium is a good planetarium software to use for studying and navigating the sky. There is a free version of Stellarium that can be downloaded on PCs and phones. However, a paid version provided advanced features.

For a beginner, the free version is enough. In order to easily understand this article, it is advisable to install the Stellarium first. I find it much easier to play around and understand Stellarium on a computer. To download it you can go to stellarium.org.

On the Stellarium homepage, you’ll find a series of Operating System logos at the top. There you can click download the file according to your computer OS. After downloading the file, you just need to double-click the file and follow the installation instructions.

There is also a downloadable Stellarium User Guide, which would be very handy if you want to deep dive into every function that Stellarium can offer. Stellarium is a bit complex at first you look at it.

The Celestial Sphere

Whenever you go out at night and look at the starry night sky, you’ll get a sense that you’re standing on the flat ground enclosed by a giant dome. You also will have the same impression when you study the virtual sky in Stellarium.

The sky appears as a dark screen sprinkled with glittering dots. It looks like the stars move together in groups (constellations) across the sky, rise from the east, and set in the west. From the ground, the stars seem glued to the sky dome. The depth and distance of the stars couldn’t be recognized from this point of view.

The truth is the stars didn’t attach to our sky, and they are scattered in the Milky Way galaxy. The stars are tremendously far away from us, and the distance between each star is enormously great. The closest star to the Sun is Proxima Centauri, located 4.2465 light-years away (equivalent to 40.1719 trillion km).

The celestial sphere is an imaginary globe that doesn’t have a defined size or parameter. Anywhere the observer has been, he/she is at the center of the dome. The celestial sphere is a convenient way of describing the night sky objects position from Earth.

Navigating the Night Sky

The most basic thing to know for navigating the sky is the cardinal points (North, East, South, West, and in between). You can know it by using a compass or a planetarium app. If you use a planetarium app on your phone, it will automatically tell you which direction you are facing.

If you stargazing for a long time, you will notice that the stars seem to move in rotation. It is easier to see it by focusing on a particular constellation or a bright star as it moves across the sky.

You will see that the stars that come out from the east will travel up to the zenith and then move downward towards the west. When you’re facing north, you will see the Big Dipper and Small Dipper asterisms rotate around some kind of imaginary point.

The same happens in the southern sky, where you will also see the Crux constellation rotate at an imaginary point. These north and south imaginary points are called the celestial poles. You can understand this more via Stellarium.

View of the Night Sky in Northern Latitudes

To see the rotation of the stars clearly, you can set the location in Stellarium to any location at mid-northern latitudes. After that, you need to turn off the atmospheric rendering (you can press [A] on the keyboard) and turn on the cardinal points (press [Q] key).

You are able to move to the north cardinal point by pressing the LEFT or RIGHT key, or by clicking the mouse and holding it to drag the view. The view you will get is just like in the picture below. To see the rotation, you may speed up the time by pressing [L] two or three times.

The image depicts that the observers on the northward side of Earth will see the northern constellations pretty high in the sky. (The credit for the picture goes to Stellarium)

You will notice that the constellations seem to circle around the Polaris star. Polaris is placed right at the north celestial pole point. This is the reason why it is called the North Star. If you travel to the North Pole, you will see the Polaris right above your head at zenith.

View of the Night Sky in Southern Latitudes

There is no particular “south star” in the South Pole. The southern constellations and other night sky objects will be visible upright in the middle of the sky.

The image depicts that the observer in the south will see the Big Dipper in Ursa Major just above the horizon, and the Polaris star is hidden from view. The constellation of the northern part of the sky is skewed in the Southern country. (The credit for the picture goes to Stellarium)

View of the Night Sky in Equator Latitudes

Someone in the Equator area would see the north and south celestial poles at the horizon (notice that the Polaris star in the image below is just right above the horizon). In addition, they are able to observe an equal amount of north and south night sky objects.

The images depict that someone standing at the equator would observe the north and south celestial poles on the horizon. (The credit for the pictures goes to Stellarium).

This article gives a basic view of the night sky navigation. The upcoming articles will elucidate how to navigate the night sky objects using coordinate systems, including other practical things to learn for stargazing.

Disclaimer:

While we strive to provide accurate and reliable information, please be aware that the content of this blog post is subject to a margin of error. The probability of absolute accuracy is not guaranteed.

“We’re always on the lookout for interesting questions and comments from our readers. Join the conversation below and let your voice be heard”