Stargazing on the equator

Question

If you set up a telescope somewhere along the equator can you see the North Star along with the furthest southern hemisphere constellation?

In: Planetary Science

Answer 1

It depends on your elevation and local horizon, but it’s not impossible. On a smooth and round planet you would see more than 180 degrees of the celestial sphere as the horizon curves slightly downward. You wouldn’t need a telescope, of course…the North Star is a naked-eye star and there’s nothing on the southern celestial pole to see.