The NASA star finder charts are constructed based on the visible night sky at 34 degrees N. latitude, about as far north of the equated as los Angels California. Will the constilations on the star finder charts shift in the sky if you observe the night sky from further south?

Answer 1

Yes, the constellations that you see in the night sky will shift based on your latitude. If you observe the night sky from a location further south than 34 degrees N latitude, you will see some different stars and constellations appear in the sky.

As you move closer to the equator, more of the southern hemisphere constellations become visible, and you will lose sight of some northern constellations that are only visible from higher latitudes. Conversely, if you are further north, you will see more northern constellations and fewer of the southern ones.

The apparent shift is due to the curvature of the Earth and how the stars and constellations are distributed in the sky. For example, at 0 degrees latitude (the equator), you can see almost all of the constellations from both the northern and southern hemispheres, while at higher latitudes, only a portion of those constellations are visible.

In summary, the constellations will indeed shift and change depending on your geographical location.