Just drove across the US, from Ohio to Arizona. Why does the sky seem so much bigger in Texas and out west than Ohio or the Midwest? Montana is also known as Big Sky country, so it doesn’t seem like it would be a north/south thing. Doesn’t seem exclusive to flat v hilly country or trees or anything else I could notice.
Not sure if this is even something everyone notices, but I can definitely tell how much smaller the sky feels in Ohio.
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A lot of it is just due to having a lot of flat ground, without obstructions.
If you are surrounded by trees, buildings, hills, and mountains, then you don’t see as much of the sky.
But if you are in big open flat spaces without much around, then you can just see more of the sky. Lack of light pollution also helps you see a lot more stars and notice a lot more.
Elevation and terrain.
You can see (horizon) for 6miles at 6′, 27miles at 500′; 37miles at 1000′, 55miles at 2000′, 78miles at 4000′ and all that space gets filled with sky and the higher you are the closer the sky and clouds are.
Late Edit: I see Montana mentioned. Can confirm, the sky gets real big in Montana, Saskatchewan and Alberta. It’s very flat in Saskatchewan but that prairie is at 1800′ peaking at 4,567′ in Cypress Hills area. Amarillo Texas is at 3,668′.
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