Fixed stars, in a historical astronomical context, refer to stars seen from Earth that appear unchanging and maintain constant positions relative to each other on the celestial sphere. This term was traditionally used to distinguish these stars from planets, which wander across the sky. In considering the concept of “fixed stars” from the perspective of other celestial objects in our solar system, we’re essentially looking at the stellar backgrounds against which these other bodies observe the universe.
Each celestial object in our solar system, such as the planets, moons, and even dwarf planets, would see the cosmos with a slightly different orientation compared to Earth, given their unique locations and orbital paths. However, the fundamental nature of the stars remains the same – they are distant suns scattered throughout the galaxy. The fixed stars perceived from the perspective of any other object in our solar system are essentially the same stars we see from Earth, barring some minor parallax effects due to the different positions of these bodies.
These variations are brought about by parallax, the apparent shift in the position of nearby stars relative to distant ones as the observer’s point of view changes. In the context of the solar system, this effect is minimal due to the vast distances between stars. Hence, while the exact positions and movements of stars over time might exhibit slight discrepancies when observed from different objects within the solar system, the overall map of fixed stars remains constant. Stars near the ecliptic might appear to move slightly differently against the stellar backdrop when viewed from locations significantly distanced from Earth’s orbit, like from Mars or Jupiter, due to their different positions in their orbits.
Importantly, the concept of fixed stars is largely relative. Advanced observational technologies today reveal that all stars are indeed moving through space, and their “fixed” nature is more a limitation of historical observational capabilities than an absolute truth. Nonetheless, when discussing fixed stars for celestial objects other than Earth, it becomes a question of celestial perspective rather than different stars altogether.