# What would the night sky look like from another planet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 25, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773 "2012-03-25T16:47:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/1 "2012-03-25T16:47:07Z")
Well, actually, I DO have a specific place in mind… one of the moons of Saturn (Enceladus.) It’s for a scene in a short fic where a character is staring up at the sky, and I really want to picture the details accurately… as much as possible, anyway… 😉 It seems that I’ve seen pictures of this before (what the night sky would look like from other planets in the same solar system.) Ideas? Links? Theories? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/2 "2012-03-25T17:00:51Z")
The open-source program [Stellarium](http://www.stellarium.org/) lets you fly to any planet and see its night sky. An example screenshot from Enceladus: [![](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/3 "2012-03-25T17:01:57Z")
(The landscape is from Earth’s moon, but the position of the stars, planets, etc. in the sky should be accurate. You can substitute the ground with another one if you prefer.) ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/4 "2012-03-25T17:05:52Z")
WOW!! Thanks. 🙂 Okay… um… where’s earth in this picture? (doesn’t usually write SF…) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/5 "2012-03-25T17:11:04Z")
In that picture? I have no idea 🙂 Here’s another shot with Earth targeted in the lower left: [![](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) ](http://tinypic.com/images/goodbye.jpg) That bright star next to Earth is our Sun. I’m no astronomer, but if you want it to be realistic, you have to take into account things like: - The moon’s atmosphere (if any) - The time and date - The viewer’s position on the moon - The rotational and orbital speed of the moon (there might be star trails?) - The optics of what they’re looking with (eyes? camera?), lens configuration, dimming, etc. - etc. Stellarium is a good start, but maybe you should decide on the specifics, print out a sample, and email/visit a local astronomy professor and run it by them? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/6 "2012-03-25T17:31:18Z")
And, you know, depending on your audience the details might not even matter. What’s memorable is the dual suns of Tatooine or the Death Star looming over Endor, not necessarily the minutiae of realistic sky maps… unless you’re writing for the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/7 "2012-03-25T17:50:06Z")
The Sun and planets will look very different, but the stars will look exactly the same. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/8 "2012-03-25T18:12:39Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > The Sun and planets will look very different, but the stars will look exactly the same. Not sure why you think that when the lesser atmosphere, further distance from the sun, and a giant planet obscuring your field of vision (among other things) would all obviously change the stars you can and cannot see… ---
**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/9 "2012-03-25T18:16:44Z")
I presume **tdn** meant the positions of things. And he/she is right. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/10 "2012-03-25T18:26:51Z")
Interestingly, Wikipedia has an artist’s rendering of “[the sky of Enceladus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_skies#The_sky_of_Enceladus)”, and even whole paragraph devoted to it. Is this a common Sci-Fi meme I’m not aware of? > [@aerodave](#): > > I presume **tdn** meant the positions of things. And he/she is right. Yes, the positions may be indistinguishable because of the objects’ distances, but other factors play into their apparent visibility and brightness. It’s a technical but important, IMO, detail. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/11 "2012-03-25T18:31:22Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Yes, the positions may be indistinguishable because of the objects’ distances, but other factors play into their apparent visibility and brightness. It’s a technical but important, IMO, detail. Yes, I was just talking about positions. The constellations wouldn’t change. But atmospheric conditions might make thing very different. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/12 "2012-03-25T18:45:36Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > The open-source program [Stellarium](http://www.stellarium.org/) lets you fly to any planet and see its night sky. > > An example screenshot from Enceladus: > [http://oi44.tinypic.com/2rdc2fo.jpg](http://oi44.tinypic.com/2rdc2fo.jpg) Thanks, didn’t realise you could do that with Stellarium. There are buttons to turn off the ground and atmosphere to have a proper look around. It’s noticeable how many more stars pop into view when you look away from the glare of the sun. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/13 "2012-03-25T19:11:52Z")
It’ll depend on where you are on the moon. Like most moons, Enceladus is tidally locked to its parent, so on one side of the moon, Saturn will always be in the sky (and in the same location), while on the other side, you’d never see it at all. Anywhere on the near side, the planet will completely dominate the sky, and will look spectacular (though you’ll miss out on some spectacle by being in almost the same plane as the rings). Saturn would probably be bright enough to wash out everything else in the sky, except for the Sun, other moons of Saturn, and possibly the brighter planets. On the far side at night, you would get basically the same view as you would from Earth, except that you wouldn’t see Saturn, but would see the Earth (and Luna). Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter would all be morning/evening stars, like Mercury and Venus are from Earth (though there’d be a narrow window of timing when you could see the innermore ones, since they’d be rather close to the Sun in the sky). You would sometimes see them during the day, too, when they were in the right places in their orbits. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/14 "2012-03-26T05:34:59Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > And, you know, depending on your audience the details might not even matter. What’s memorable is the dual suns of Tatooine or the Death Star looming over Endor, not necessarily the minutiae of realistic sky maps… unless you’re writing for the SDMB. Oh, this fandom doesn’t expect any SF content at ALL. It’s just a bit in the ending, when the two characters had to enter the wheel of birth and rebirth and ended up being reincarnated on Enceladus together five hundred years later, having finally made up for their sins. 🙂 Anyway, what great pics!! ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/15 "2012-03-26T05:42:57Z")
ETA: Also, here’s why Enceladus is so intriguing: [warm oceans and possible life!](http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2109837,00.html) 300-foot octopi! (Okay, I made that one up…) ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/16 "2012-03-26T08:10:57Z")
If they’re unequipped humans, it’d be a darned short rebirth, what with the exploding ice volcanoes, -198 deg C temperature, lack of a breathable atmosphere, unshielded exposure to cosmic radiation and debris… but hey, it’ll be a great view for those one or two seconds 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/17 "2012-03-26T12:09:39Z")
If you’re within the solar system, the stars are going to look pretty much the same as from Earth. The biggest difference is that your axial tilt will be different. Hal Clement used this detail to good effect in one of his stories, where someone walking on (I think) the moon tries to navigate using Polaris, the North Star, which doesn’t lie above the axis of the moon, so the effort is doomed to failure. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/18 "2012-03-26T13:46:42Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > If they’re unequipped humans, it’d be a darned short rebirth, what with the exploding ice volcanoes, -198 deg C temperature, lack of a breathable atmosphere, unshielded exposure to cosmic radiation and debris… **Naked** -eye astronomy is not for the squeamish. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/19 "2012-03-26T17:04:01Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > If they’re unequipped humans, it’d be a darned short rebirth, what with the exploding ice volcanoes, -198 deg C temperature, lack of a breathable atmosphere, unshielded exposure to cosmic radiation and debris… but hey, it’ll be a great view for those one or two seconds 😉 They’re down in the undersea tunnel system looking up through a magic window. Later on, they’ll go for a sub ride past the 300-foot octopi. (Hey, I never made any lofty claims for good science here… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773/20 "2012-03-26T18:20:09Z")
> [@Anise](#): > > They’re down in the undersea tunnel system looking up through a magic window. Later on, they’ll go for a sub ride past the 300-foot octopi. (Hey, I never made any lofty claims for good science here… 😉 That’d be a really neat scene. I’ve never seen the stars from underwater, much less through water and ice and a thin atmosphere with water vapor and ice crystals. I wonder how they’ll sparkle. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-night-sky-look-like-from-another-planet/616773.md?page=2)