Just plain weird

[Manok101]

So my house is an eastern facing house. This house I'm currently staying is faces southish. Which basically means I get to see constellations I never see at home . So my question is why is it so weird getting used to the position of the stars. Do any of you find a hard time getting used to the stars being in a different location when you travel? Oh I still recognize the constellations. It just takes a few minutes re learning that there's no darn giant pine in the way of Auriga.

[Pug]

Yep! Without the neighbours chimneys pots I'm all at sea for the first 15 minutes

[Mike Hawtin]

It's even more confusing if you move from south of the equator to the north. When I came back to the UK from Oz many years ago it took a long time to get used to an upside down sky!

[earth titan]

I have a lovely dark sky site, which takes me ages to get used to when I get there. Too many damn stars........

[brantuk]

I just face south wherever I am - look up - and there it all is just like at home. Simples eek!

(All in the UK of course)

[gooseholla]

No, I'm good with different locations. It is when the sky is lighter or darker and stars aren't showing clearly or other stars appear that I'm not used to that messes me up! Trying to find Pegasus some nights is quite a task.

[Astro Imp]

When I came back to the UK from Oz many years ago it took a long time to get used to an upside down sky!

Surely it's the Oz sky that's upside down

[Imp_Perfect]

Surely it's the Oz sky that's upside down

Well through a telescope it would be the right way up and our would be upside down, although through binoculars it would be the other way around. And being the other way around means that upside down is right way up and right way up is upside down.

I am confusing myself now. Just going for a lie down, or is that a lie up? Help!!!!

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

It's been so cloudy lately, that all the constellations i learned at the end of the summer have moved completely at my usual observing time, Cassiopeia is pointing the wrong way etc, takes me a few minutes to get my bearings lol

[Astro Imp]

Well through a telescope it would be the right way up and our would be upside down, although through binoculars it would be the other way around. And being the other way around means that upside down is right way up and right way up is upside down.

I am confusing myself now. Just going for a lie down, or is that a lie up? Help!!!!

Stop it, you're making my head hurt

[JonnyP]

After working out what I'm looking at, ("Hmm, Cass is there, Pegasus is there so that must be.....") I will look down to check something and lose my bearings completely.

Happens every night for the first 30 minutes.

[Macavity]

Early experiences get imprinted? I still await stars rising over "my grandparent's

outside privy"... Fortunately this translates easily to my current location too.

[661-pete]

Am I missing something here? Or has the Earth stopped orbiting the Sun? :)

Reminds me a bit of that hoary old joke:

Old lady embarks on cruise ship. Just as ship is steaming out of harbour, she goes to purser. "Excuse me, I've lost my cabin key". "No problem, Madam. Can you tell me what your cabin number is?" "Ooohhh - I forgot, but I'll remember it when I see it because there was a lighthouse just outside the window"...