Skip to main content

Story: Night sky

The changing night sky

The changing night sky

As the earth orbits the sun, different parts of the sky become visible. Stars that can be seen year round are known as circumpolar stars. Others come into view as the earth sweeps around different regions of the sky. This diagram shows the regions visible from the southern hemisphere during winter and summer.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

John Field and Maggy Wassilieff, Night sky – Southern skies, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/7894/the-changing-night-sky (accessed 5 June 2026).

Story by John Field and Maggy Wassilieff, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

James Peter Coughlin
09 April 2020
As the Southern Cross has been a beacon for navigators from Magellan to Vespucci, to Cook, and the sailors of Rapa Nui, that arrived from distant Polinesia to colonize Easter Island. The view of the southern sky is a little more than magnificent. It re designs everything and makes everything small in comparison as well