What is the farthest Northern Latitude in which the Magellanic Clouds can be seen?

What is the farthest Northern Latitude in which the Magellanic Clouds can be seen? Can they be seen in Hawaii? Can they be seen in Hana, Maui?

The Magellanic Clouds are at a declination of about -70 degrees, so that the farthest northern latitude from which they can be seen is about 20 degrees. But there is a caveat here. As you know, all objects in the sky go in circles around the celestial pole (due to Earth's rotation), and hence from a latitude of 20 degrees north, an object at a declination of -70 degrees will just touch the horizon for a few minutes before setting. Thus, if one really wants to have a decent look at the Magellanic Clouds, one needs to go to the equator at least, and even there, it will be visible only for a few hours and only at a particular time of the year.

Maui, Hawaii is at a latitude of about 20 to 21 degrees north, so that for practical purposes, it will not be possible for one to see the Magellanic Clouds.

March 2002, Jagadheep D. Pandian (more by Jagadheep D. Pandian) (Like this Answer)

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