Us in relation to other planets?

There's probably a simple answer to this, but I can't figure it out. Every image I see of our solar system shows all the planets moving along the same plane.




Yet, from my front porch in the northeastern U.S. I have to look UP to see the other planets. Why?

The Earth is tipped in relation to the plane of the Ecliptic....

Gravity pulls you down to the centre of the Earth, so the sky is always 'up'.

Your position on the planet's surface governs the angle at which celestial objects appear to your vision. Where you live, in the north temperate zone, a half-moon seems to be canted at an angle from the vertical. Where I live, a few degrees north of the Equator, a half-moon lies almost on its side, like a bowl or (alternatively) a dish-cover.

Originally posted by Ex_CT2
The Earth is tipped in relation to the plane of the Ecliptic....

Then I should be looking DOWN from the northeast, not up. (Is it plane or plain?) You're right, plane.

Originally posted by Astyanax
Gravity pulls you down to the centre of the Earth, so the sky is always 'up'.

Your position on the planet's surface governs the angle at which celestial objects appear to your vision.

At my angle I shouldn't be seeing them at all, much less looking UP.

Originally posted by jiggerj

Originally posted by Ex_CT2
The Earth is tipped in relation to the plane of the Ecliptic....

Then I should be looking DOWN from the northeast, not up. (Is it plane or plain?) You're right, plane.

edit on 4/22/2012 by jiggerj because: Plane tired

No, that is not the case. I'm not interested in doing a graphic right now (it's late at night). So let's try visualizing it.

If you were at the Equator, you would have to look further "up," because the planets in question would be higher in the sky. As you move northward, these particular planets, at this particular time, would be lower in the sky--but you would still have to look "up" to see them. (All this is assuming that they are not so high in your sky that they could not be seen from the Equator.)

At no time would you be looking "down" at these planets. You could go farther northward, and they would seem to be yet lower in the sky, until at some point they would disappear to the south. But you would still be looking up at them.

I just noted your comment to another poster that you should not be seeing them at all, at your latitude. Actually, at this time these (putative) planets can still be seen from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere (if high enough in "your" sky). But again: As you go northward, they will just seem to move southward; but you'd still be looking "up" at them....

This is one of those times I would suggest you go find an "orrery," to see how this all works. I remember when I was a kid, my mom used to wonder how, if we were looking upward at stars and planets, why would their inhabitants not be looking downward at us. She could not visualize how they, too, would be looking up at us. This seems to be one of those things. Once you see it, it will all make sense.

Originally posted by jiggerj

You've drawn your picture wrong.
Its more like this...




A more fuller explanation involves the fact in your drawing you've put yourself almost at the edge of the arctic circle. As you may be aware, at certain times of the year within the arctic circle, the sun does not rise. This is also true of planets. Some planets, depending on where they are in the solar orbit, may not be visible at any time of the day if you are within the arctic circle.
You, by chance, have almost drawn one of those worst case situations.

Originally posted by Ex_CT2
I just noted your comment to another poster that you should not be seeing them at all, at your latitude. Actually, at this time these (putative) planets can still be seen from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere (if high enough in "your" sky). But again: As you go northward, they will just seem to move southward; but you'd still be looking "up" at them....

This is one of those times I would suggest you go find an "orrery," to see how this all works. I remember when I was a kid, my mom used to wonder how, if we were looking upward at stars and planets, why would their inhabitants not be looking downward at us. She could not visualize how they, too, would be looking up at us. This seems to be one of those things. Once you see it, it will all make sense.

I closed my eyes and imagined where the planets are. They are at about 2:00. That's about right, thanks.

Originally posted by jiggerj

Originally posted by Ex_CT2
I just noted your comment to another poster that you should not be seeing them at all, at your latitude. Actually, at this time these (putative) planets can still be seen from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere (if high enough in "your" sky). But again: As you go northward, they will just seem to move southward; but you'd still be looking "up" at them....

This is one of those times I would suggest you go find an "orrery," to see how this all works. I remember when I was a kid, my mom used to wonder how, if we were looking upward at stars and planets, why would their inhabitants not be looking downward at us. She could not visualize how they, too, would be looking up at us. This seems to be one of those things. Once you see it, it will all make sense.

I closed my eyes and imagined where the planets are. They are at about 2:00. That's about right, thanks.

Ok. Well, I was just making one last pass through the things I'm following, and then to bed. Anyway, I had faith that it would clarify for you.

So good night....

US and the planets?

then...

US and Them

US and the planets?

then...

US and Them

US and the planets?

then...

US and Them

US and the planets?

then...

US and Them

US and the planets?

then...

US and Them

PENTAKILL!!!!

dont know what happened to my browser...

at least its my first penta post!!!!

reply to post by heineken


Lol the guy/gal who starred each one is obviously responsible for your browser glitch

Haha.. funny stuff

reply to post by jiggerj

At my angle I shouldn't be seeing them at all, much less looking UP.

No, that's not correct.

Imagine you are standing at the North Pole at midwinter. Polaris would be overhead, and you would be able to see all the stars moving horizontally across the sky without rising or setting. The familiar constellations of the Zodiac would appear in a slowly moving band along the horizon. The stars of the Southern Hemisphere would be invisible, below the horizon.

Now start walking south. As you do so, you will see the circle of the Zodiac begin to tilt in the sky. Half of it disappears below the horizon behind you. The other half will rise in the sky, forming an arc. It is, of course, still turning; constellations rise above the horizon and move across the southern sky before setting, each in succession. Once you have passed below the Arctic Circle, your daily view the procession would be interrupted for increasing periods by the Sun, but the procession would still continue.

Descend to your present latitude, forty degrees or so above the equator, and what do you see? The Zodiac is now an arc whose zenith is forty degrees above the horizon. The constellations rise and set along this arc. You have to look up to see them unless they've just risen or are about to set.

Now travel further south, to where I live a few degrees above the equator. The Zodiac is now a band that spans the sky from east to west, its highest point a few degrees off the zenith. We'll have to give ourselves cricks in our necks to view them as they pass above us. To the north, you will be able to recognize the stars and constellations you've known all your life. To the south, you will see stars you may never have glimpsed before; the stars of the southern heavens, in unfamiliar arrangements.

Hope that explains it.