<p>On midnight, right around this time of year, the Milky Way will be in the zenith. Here is an XEphem rendering for the north of finland (65th latitude) for yesterday midnight (the brown outline marks the Milky Way):</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/X81db.png" alt="Sky map for 65th latitude including milky way"></p>

<p>You can also see this on photographs by finnish photographer <a href="http://www.tommyeliassen.com/#!/index/15" rel="noreferrer">Tommy Eliassen</a>. He has many examples of this on his website. I won't put any in here, because I guess they are copyrighted, and not free to use.</p>

<p>This is an animated 24 hour version of the above sky map, which shows the rotation of the milkyway around the zenith:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/K4s5U.gif" alt="Animated sky map including the milky way, 24 hours."></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-19T19:24:36.457Z
Can you help me to read the map? I am not use to it. What I intuitively understand is that Milky Way is cutting the sky from North-East to South-West, right? So the difference with lower latitudes is that it kind of rotates instead of passing twice per day. That seems to contradict Michael post.. Would you say polar regions are good to observe the Milky way?
Niccolò
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-19T19:33:48.130Z
The map shows the sky above you. Easiest to understand if you lie down on the ground, head facing north and then holding the map in front of you. The zenith is in the middle of the map, north is where polaris is (i.e. top part of the map). East and west are reversed, because its an overhead map. So west is right, and east is left.
Arne
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-19T19:41:42.423Z
Ok, yes, like I did! So it does contradict Micheal, the Milky Way looks high in the sky.. Hum...
Niccolò
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-19T20:46:16.757Z
I've added a 24 hour animation to my answer, which shows the rotation.
Arne
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-20T15:30:20.793Z
very nice the animation
Niccolò
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-20T21:59:39.047Z
Thanks. If you think this answers your question, you may accept the answer.
Arne
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-19T09:02:29.267Z
2013-12-19T20:45:28.707Z
2013-12-19T20:45:28.707Z
Arne
<p>Outside of this range you are close to the poles of our planet.  The milky way will be low on the horizon and hard to see.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-19T19:26:35.557Z
I was inclined to think the same, but for what the pictures of @astromax and Arne it seems it not so low. Or am I wrong?
Niccolò
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-19T05:29:04.670Z
2013-12-19T05:29:04.670Z
Michael
<p>I read on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way#Appearance">Wikipedia</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>depending on the time of night and the year, the arc of Milky Way can
  appear relatively low or relatively high in the sky. For observers
  from about 65 degrees north to 65 degrees south on the Earth's surface
  the Milky Way passes directly overhead twice a day</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What happens and how does the Milky Way look like out of that range?
If it matters, consider also the all-summer light and the dark winter.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-18T04:52:18.297Z
This may be helpful for you (see the map of the disk of the Milky Way): http://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/842/is-the-milky-way-visible-from-nebraska/844#844
astromax
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-19T19:31:24.903Z
@astromax does that picture change among seasons?
Niccolò
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-19T19:59:33.290Z
Well the portion of the sky that you see changes with the season, but other than that it doesn't change (on time scales that we really care about).
astromax
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-20T15:23:21.147Z
@astromax because at polar regions seasons really matters (you won't see any star all over the summer). Can you maybe link or post the same picture for the different seasons? That would be great!
Niccolò
<milky-way>
How does the Milky Way look like above 66° North and below 66° South?
Niccolò
# How does the Milky Way look like above 66° North and below 66° South?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-17)

I read on [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way#Appearance):

> depending on the time of night and the year, the arc of Milky Way can
> appear relatively low or relatively high in the sky. For observers
> from about 65 degrees north to 65 degrees south on the Earth's surface
> the Milky Way passes directly overhead twice a day

What happens and how does the Milky Way look like out of that range?
If it matters, consider also the all-summer light and the dark winter.

**Tags:** milky-way

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This may be helpful for you (see the map of the disk of the Milky Way): http://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/842/is-the-milky-way-visible-from-nebraska/844#844  
> **username_0**: @username_1 does that picture change among seasons?  
> **username_1**: Well the portion of the sky that you see changes with the season, but other than that it doesn't change (on time scales that we really care about).  
> **username_0**: @username_1 because at polar regions seasons really matters (you won't see any star all over the summer). Can you maybe link or post the same picture for the different seasons? That would be great!  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-12-19. Score: 5

On midnight, right around this time of year, the Milky Way will be in the zenith. Here is an XEphem rendering for the north of finland (65th latitude) for yesterday midnight (the brown outline marks the Milky Way):

![Sky map for 65th latitude including milky way](https://i.sstatic.net/X81db.png)

You can also see this on photographs by finnish photographer [Tommy Eliassen](http://www.tommyeliassen.com/#!/index/15). He has many examples of this on his website. I won't put any in here, because I guess they are copyrighted, and not free to use.

This is an animated 24 hour version of the above sky map, which shows the rotation of the milkyway around the zenith:

![Animated sky map including the milky way, 24 hours.](https://i.sstatic.net/K4s5U.gif)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Can you help me to read the map? I am not use to it. What I intuitively understand is that Milky Way is cutting the sky from North-East to South-West, right? So the difference with lower latitudes is that it kind of rotates instead of passing twice per day. That seems to contradict username_3 post.. Would you say polar regions are good to observe the Milky way?  
> **username_2**: The map shows the sky above you. Easiest to understand if you lie down on the ground, head facing north and then holding the map in front of you. The zenith is in the middle of the map, north is where polaris is (i.e. top part of the map). East and west are reversed, because its an overhead map. So west is right, and east is left.  
> **username_0**: Ok, yes, like I did! So it does contradict Micheal, the Milky Way looks high in the sky.. Hum...  
> **username_2**: I've added a 24 hour animation to my answer, which shows the rotation.  
> **username_0**: very nice the animation  
> **username_2**: Thanks. If you think this answers your question, you may accept the answer.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2013-12-19. Score: 1

Outside of this range you are close to the poles of our planet. The milky way will be low on the horizon and hard to see.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I was inclined to think the same, but for what the pictures of @username_1 and username_2 it seems it not so low. Or am I wrong?  

---

