Lucky to be Southerners

[JoeBlow (Joe)]

Do you ever think about how lucky we are to be observing from the southern hemisphere?

Just make a quick comparison between what can be seen in the northern hemisphere and the southern hemispheres and you can easily see why.

- The two magellanic clouds
- The four brightest Globulars
- Eta Carina nebular & Tarantula Nebula
- The bright and rich part of the milk way on either side of the Southern Cross
- Sagittarius and Scorpius pass overhead rather then low on the horison
- I read somewhere that more starts are visible to the naked eye from the southern hemisphere

And most of the popular objects observed from the north can also be seen from the south, but the same cant be said the opposite way around.

There seems to be very little that northerners are compensated for by what they cant see from the south. The only thing I envy them for is being able to see the Andromeda galaxy high above the horison and maybe a few other bright galaxies.

Any northerners here to defend your skies?

[asimov (John)]

I'll let you know if it's worth defending in 12 mths time when I shift to the US

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Gently Joe.

We should show compassion to those not as fortunate than us. I'm sure there are many northern astronomers who would give their eye teeth to have what we are blessed with.

Besides....


You left out less light pollution too.

[asimov (John)]

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Besides....


You left out less light pollution too.

That hurt a bit.

Now ringing Qantas to cancel that ticket!........Wots the # again???

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

Growing up in the Midwestern US and first learning the sky there I can tell you that while the Northern Hemisphere sky is good...the Southern Hemisphere sky is better IMHO...not only in terms of objects but in darkness as well...

I only have one complaint...and that is Orion stands on his head here...after 5 years I still can't get used to that...

[astroron (Ron)]

But it does gall sometimes when there is a great comet or supernova in the north and we don't get a look in but in the mainwe have a great deal to be happy about

[fringe_dweller]

now now, I agree with Paul, take it easy on the poor souls
I am jealous of anywhere that has real mountains tho,
they have nice stuff too, especially photographically (heart and soul neb comes to mind), and yes the good northern comets (but that balances out, sometimes), major meteor showers, when planets are up there way at good oppositions, lots of accessable arctic or near arctic land mass from which to observe the northern lights from, a decent pole star, some nice clusters, plentiful nice foreground scenery/sights for horizon shots - but generally naked eye we got the best skies for sure

what about the equatorial zones, they get the best of both worlds?

[GrampianStars (Rob)]

I'm not jealous of our northern cousins
I have clear un-poluted dark sky down to 10 deg. of the horizon
nth,est & wst.
on a steady new moon night down to visual mag 6.7

I love my southern sky

[Hammerman]

Go ahead.... rub it in, guys! I'd love to have your skies and lack of light pollution.

Well, at least here in the North we don't have to stand on the planet upside down. Doesn't all the blood rush to your heads?

[ving (David)]

i love my southern clouds... they are bigger darker and more numerous than the northern ones....

think i'll go cry in a corner now

[Starkler (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by Hammerman

Go ahead.... rub it in, guys! I'd love to have your skies and lack of light pollution.

Most of us still live with the light pollution that comes with living in a city

Well, at least here in the North we don't have to stand on the planet upside down. Doesn't all the blood rush to your heads?

I am consoled by the fact that the water spirals clockwise down the hole when i flush the toilet. I dont know if I could keep my sanity if it wasnt so

[Vermin (Tom)]

Originally Posted by Starkler

I am consoled by the fact that the water spirals clockwise down the hole when i flush the toilet. I dont know if I could keep my sanity if it wasnt so

Prepare to loose your mind: http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physic...l/bathtub.html

[Hammerman]

Originally Posted by Starkler

I am consoled by the fact that the water spirals clockwise down the hole when i flush the toilet. I dont know if I could keep my sanity if it wasnt so

Thanks for pointing that out, Geoff. Now every time I flush the toilet I'll be running out of the bathroom screaming "NOOOOOOOOO!"

[RapidEye]

Originally Posted by JoeBlow

And most of the popular objects observed from the north can also be seen from the south, but the same cant be said the opposite way around.

Not necessarily: M31, M33, M51, M101, and M81/82 come to mind right away. How high does the Veil Nebula (easily one of our best) get for you guys???
Sure, they all might clear the horizon for you guys, but you can't really appreciate them like when the are straight overhead - sorta like how Omega Centauri is for us
Ohhh - and don't forget the E.T. cluster

Originally Posted by JoeBlow

Any northerners here to defend your skies?

Nah - besides those galaxies and a cluster or two, you guys kick our tails on both quantity of cool things to see, dark skies, and lower air pollution.
<SIGH>-(sigh)-
Anyone got a spare bunk???

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

You'd be more than welcome RE. Plenty of room down here. And most of it pitch black at night.

[JoeBlow (Joe)]

Originally Posted by RapidEye

Not necessarily: M31, M33, M51, M101, and M81/82 come to mind right away. How high does the Veil Nebula (easily one of our best) get for you guys???

Well I did give you guys credit for your galaxies. And putting aside the LMC and SMC which are in a class of their own, if your into galaxies I then must admit the northern hemisphere seems the place to be. Even with the vergo galaxy cluster and other nearby galaxies in Leo which are easily accessible from the south, but I believe they are even better from the north where they would pass overhead for you guys.

As for the Veil Nebular, it just clears my roof when its at its highest, so I guess that means it aint too bad. But unfortunately for me thats also the direction of the worst source of light pollution in my area (the whole greater Sydney region is in that direction) so I havent even tried seeing it. This is especially considering I already have enough trouble seeing some of the fainter messier objects in that area of sky even with my 12 inch .

To be honest I would love to go observing in the northern hemisphere and see that part of the sky which is either invisible to us or not as well seen from the south. It would be a totally different experience, even if in my opinion it might not be as good the southern sky. In fact a few years ago I tried doing just that when I took my 4.5 incher overseas with me, but unfortunately it was cloudy the entire time I was there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be going overseas again next year hopefully, but this time I will only be taking binoculars with me.

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

When I escaped from 55 degrees north a few years back, I expected things to be better on the Astro front, but never expected the sky's to be nearly as good as they are (Qld clouds excepted).

My first view of 47 Tuc made all the years looking at M13 seem pointless, and the pleasures within Carina, Sagittarius, Scorpius and Canis Major to name but a few are seemingly endless.

Feel sorry for the high northern latitudes, for they know not what they are missing.

(having said all that, Halle-Bopp stretched across the dark winter sky's on a crystal clear night ranked second only to the 1999 Total eclipse in my lifetime Astro highlights, both Northern events! and I quite enjoyed the occasional Aurora Borealis, and the perseus double cluster. Oh yes and some great galaxies. Er, what did the romans do for us ....)

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

And we saw all four contacts during the transit of Venus (see avatar for 2nd!)

But apart from comets, eclipses, auroras, galaxies, clusters and transits ......

[JoeBlow (Joe)]

I can remember back a few years ago when I was looking for another telescope. I read many telescope buyers guides over the internet which I am sure the majority were written by astronomers from the northern hemisphere. Anyway the general consensus they reached was that its useless buying any reflector less then 6 inches.

However at the time I had my 4.5 incher and I tended to disagree with that. It might be small but it still gave me great wide angle views of numerous open clusters, the milky way, and I was even able to partially resolve most of the brighter globular clusters. The view of brighter nebulas was also quite good. All up I was quiet satisfied with it at the time.

So I am now thinking that the recommendations made by astronomers from the north were at least partially due to their poorer sky.

[RapidEye]

Originally Posted by JoeBlow

As for the Veil Nebular, it just clears my roof when its at its highest, so I guess that means it aint too bad. But unfortunately for me thats also the direction of the worst source of light pollution in my area (the whole greater Sydney region is in that direction) so I havent even tried seeing it.

IMHO, it is one of the most spectacular nebulas. Its not as bold/in-you-face as the Great Orion Nebula, but has a more delicate/softer beauty.
You know how when you run up the power on the GON near the trapezium you see those whispy threads of nebulosity that just curve, twist, and swirl? Well the entire Veil Nebula is like that

Like I said before, I'd never try and say we have better skies or neater things to see - 'cause we don't
But we do have some cool things that are generally out of reach (or too low to look good), with the Veil Neb, Andromeda Galaxy, Sombrero Galaxy, and Perseus Double Cluster all in the top 10!