Milky Way over Uluru, Australia
Stefan Liebermann/Mauritius Images GmbH/Alamy
Being located in the Northern Hemisphere, my recommendations for observing the night sky are often limited by this perspective. Thus, in this edition, we shift our focus to the stunning views offered by the Southern Hemisphere, particularly the Milky Way during this time.
Every visible star belongs to our galaxy; when I gaze at the night sky, I’m encountering the Milky Way. Stargazers refer to the Milky Way as the luminous bands of stars and cosmic dust found toward the core of our spiral galaxy. This plane is tilted approximately 60 degrees relative to the solar system, enabling us to see the inner edge of the spiral arm that faces away from our location. Viewed in three dimensions, it resembles a curved arc across the sky.
This view is significantly enhanced in the Southern Hemisphere due to the Earth’s tilt. Stargazers in the southern part of the globe have the advantage of looking toward the galaxy’s center, while those in the north gaze away from it into a star-bereft region. This positioning allows for a clearer view of numerous constellations near the galactic core, including Centaurus and Sagittarius.
Regardless of your location on Earth, we share the same sunlit side, making this the optimum time for celestial observation. However, the Southern Hemisphere offers year-round visibility of the Milky Way—a perk of our planet’s tilt plus the benefits of darker nights during this season.
A decade-old study indicates that one-third of the global population is unable to see the Milky Way, a figure likely increasing due to growing light pollution. I encourage you to seek a remote location on a moonlit night; a new moon, around June 25th, would be ideal. It typically takes your eyes about 40 minutes to adjust to darkness, so if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, you might need to wait until after midnight for optimal conditions.
Some of my most unforgettable nights under the stars occurred in the Southern Hemisphere. The first was at Mount Cook, New Zealand, in early June, and the second was at Warrumbungle National Park, Australia, in April. On both occasions, I was utterly amazed by the sight of the Milky Way, as captured in the image of Uluru, Australia.
If you’re stargazing in the Southern Hemisphere, make sure to look for the Milky Way. You might even spot two of our neighboring galaxies: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Neither of these is visible from the Northern Hemisphere but can be located near the southern celestial pole.
Abigail Beall is the editor of New Scientist and author of Art of Urban Astronomy. Follow her @abbybeall
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