The Night Sky in Chennai

I know next to nothing about stars and constellations. Although, I can still pick out the really famous and well known constellations. For example, Orion, "the hunter" is the easiest one to pick out, I can spot. Of course, all my astronomer (not astrologer) friends will be quick to point out to me that the sky looks different in different parts of the world. Having lived as far north as Evanston, IL (42 degrees north) and now in Chennai, TN (13 degrees north) the sky looks different.

It is important to note that Chennai is a huge city (roughly the size of chicago) and therefore has very little visibility at night due to the pollution and light pollution. Nonetheless I have been looking up at night to see what I can and the only thing that jumps out at me is Orion. I think it took me a few days to recognize it though because it's turned sideways (to my orientation). In Chicago it nearly stands up straight (I imagine at 45 degrees north it stands up "straight" and at the equator it is completely on its side. Maybe this is part of the navigational knowledge I was supposed to have learned in the boyscouts, maybe not, I can't remember. It just stands to reason that one can truly see how far south one is just by checking the night sky.

On another similar note Chennai has badly labeled streets. I really truly have no idea where I am most of the time, and since everything has an English and a Tamil name, none of the autorickshaw driver know where I'm asking to go either... In light of this I end up walking a lot of the time, and I need to go east most of the time. Luckily for me, I'm far enough south that the "sun rises in the east" has some validity to it. I at least know if I'm being steered away from the beach!

All told, I'm realizing the ease that being near the equator gives to self navigation. At night, however, I can only tell far south I am in the world, and in that case I just have to find someone who knows where I am...