Southern hemisphere night skies like those in Australia have a whole bunch of galactic and intergalactic objects that you simply can't see from the northern hemisphere of the world.
Sometimes, in Australia's outback the sky is very blue because it's so dry, but on other days when it's dusty or during bushfires, the sky will appear much redder. In the northern hemisphere, Canada, US, Russia or Nordic countries also have bright blue skies similar to Australia.
Does everyone see the same sky at night? As well as the Earth's position in space, the area of sky we can see at night is determined by our latitude — how far north or south of the equator we are. Places at the same latitude see the same view of the night sky.
While the north pole faces outwards to the Universe beyond, the south pole points to the galactic centre of the Milky Way. This means more bright stars and more constellations containing more stunning objects. Plus, everything in the southern hemisphere sky will look upside down, if you're used to northern skies.
Not everyone has the same set of stars in their back yard. The constellations appear in different positions throughout the seasons, disappearing and reappearing, depending on where you live in the world.
Atacama Desert, Chile
The regions combination of dry air, high altitude, and minimal light pollution equate to it offering visitors and astronomers the best place to study the night sky. The Atacama Desert is home to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), with its more than 60 radio telescopes.
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Utah is know for its dark skies—and one place that has particularly beautiful stargazing and awe-inspiring natural formations is Capitol Reef National Park in the Colorado Plateau Desert.
Southern Hemisphere
Southern skies are more popular for their stargazing opportunities because the South Pole faces the center of the Milky Way.
The constellations you can see at night depend on the time of year. Earth orbits around the Sun once each year. Our view into space through the night sky changes as we orbit. So, the night sky looks slightly different each night because Earth is in a different spot in its orbit.
You cannot see the North Star from the Southern Hemisphere
The North Star, the one that marks the position of the North Celestial Pole, is only visible to the Northern Hemisphere observers.
Warrumbungle National Park, near Coonabarabran in central western NSW, is Australia's first Dark Sky Park and the first in the southern hemisphere.
The Milky Way sets over Siding Springs Observatory on the edge of Warrumbungle National Park, Australia.
The Commonwealth Star, symbolising Australia's federal system of government, appears on the Australian National Flag below the Union Jack. This star has 7 points which symbolise the 6 Australian states, with the seventh point added in 1908 to recognise Australia's territories.
Australia's unusually harsh sunshine results mainly from its location in the Southern Hemisphere. The elliptical orbit of the Earth places the Southern Hemisphere closer to the sun during its summer months than the Northern Hemisphere during its summer.
The light in Australia can be very harsh and direct, and in turn makes the shadows contrasting with the bright colours very inviting. With my street photography I am always on the lookout for strong Australian characters hidden, or blended, with strong light and deep shadows.
But most Australians can't see it, their view of the sky is blinded by light pollution,” says astronomer Professor Lisa Kewley, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D) who are supporting the project. “Light pollution doesn't just disrupt our view of The Milky Way.
New Zealand's exceptional dark skies are more than just a beautiful setting for stargazers. Here's how to experience them and learn about their indelible cultural value.
The night skies above New Zealand's mountainous Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and glacial Lake Tekapo are so clear and dark that the distant Magellanic Clouds are visible year-round. This is one of the world's largest Dark Sky discovery sites and has been awarded gold tier designation by the IDA.
NAMIBRAND NATURE RESERVE, NAMIBIA
The reserve's efforts to preserve both the ecology of nature and the dark skies have been recognised by the International Dark Sky Association at the “Gold” tier level, which awards the darkest skies around the world.
Not to mention, the southern hemisphere also gets better views of the Milky Way due to the axial tilt of the Earth. Across dark winter nights, the Milky Way can be seen to stretch overhead from horizon to horizon!
The southern night sky contains a greater range of interesting features than does the northern. This is true for both naked eye and telescope observing. The southern sky claims the three brightest stars (Sirius, Canopus, and Alpha Centauri) and the best examples of almost every type of astronomical object.
The crystal clear skies of high hiking treks and Himalayan villages are among the some of the world's best spots to see the stars. The Himalayan mountain range is located in Asia and is the world's highest.
In season, the Northern Lights appear over Finland almost every night, so your chances of catching the celestial display of green and purple are particularly high. Ivalo is a village on the Ivalo River in Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland, where there is barely any traffic and no light pollution either.
From Earth, it can be seen as a hazy form of stars in the night sky that the naked eye can barely notice. You can see the Milky Way all year, no matter where you are in the world. It's visible as long as the sky is clear and there's minimal light pollution.
Venus can often be seen within a few hours after sunset or before sunrise as the brightest object in the sky (other than the moon). It looks like a very bright star. Venus is the brightest planet in the Solar System.