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Would cities around the world that are in similar latitudes be able to see the same stars? Why or why not?

User Nakkeeran
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1 Answer

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12 votes

Hey there! I'm happy to help!

You may have heard that if it is summer in North America, it is winter in South America. This is because of the Earth's tilt. At different points in the Earth's revolution around the Sun, the Northern or Southern part of the Earth could be at a location where it is tilted toward the Sun, making it hotter (summer), and the other side is more away from the Sun and colder (winter).

The different lines of latitude are North and South, so we know that places at different latitudes will have different seasons. Given this information, we can also see that different latitudes will see different stars in the sky as one hemisphere might be tilted towards a specific constellation at a certain time in the year while the other one cannot see it.

The main difference between places with similar latitudes is that they are in different time zones, so it could be night while it is day at another one. However, they would still be able to see the same stars, the Earth would just have to rotate so that it is night for a specific time zone to see them. The latitudes are going to have the same tilt, and will be tilted towards the same stars at night.

So, cities around the world with the same latitudes CAN see the same stars.

Have a wonderful day and keep on learning! :D

User Wholladay
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