Crux

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Abbreviation:  Cru

English Name:  The Southern Cross

Genitive: Acrux

Hemisphere: Southern Hemisphere (Never visible from the UK.)

Location: Between the constellations of Centaurus and Carina.

Visible between latitudes:  +20 and -90 degrees

Best season: Spring

Seen in three seasons: Winter, Spring, and Summer

Best seen in:  May

Seen between: February and July

Right Ascension (RA): 12 hour

Declination (DEC): -60 degrees

Area (square degrees):  68 (88th)

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Crux (The Southern Cross)

• The smallest constellation in the sky of all listing of 88 recognised constellations, popularly known as The Southern Cross.
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• The Southern Cross; the four brightest stars of Crux form a feature shape as known as The Southern Cross, the fifth bright star (Epsilon) lies close to the centre of the cross.
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• Using Crux constellation to locate the South Celestial Pole (SCP).

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Messier Objects in Crux

No Messier objects in Crux

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More objects in Crux

Features of Interest

• The Coalsack – Dark Nebula; it is large enough for 13 Full Moons to be lined up cross the Coalsack. It has no NGC or other catalogue number. One of the most outstanding dark nebula in the night sky, easily visible to the naked-eye as a dark patch background against the Southern Milky Way.
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• NGC 4755 – The Jewel Box; this sparkling Open Cluster, around the star Kappa Crucis – the name “The Jewel Box” comes from the varied colour of the stars in the cluster.
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• NGC 4609 – Open Cluster in the southern constellation of Crux.

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Named Stars

• Acrux (Alpha 1 Cru)
• Becrux (Beta Cru)
• Gacrux (Gamma Cru)
• more list of stars in Crux

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IAU Sky Chart: Crux

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Constellations: Southern Celestial Hemisphere
– never seen from the UK

Apus	Ara	Caelum	Carina	Centaurus	Chameleon
Corona Australis	Crux	Dorado	Grus	Horologium	Hydrus
Indus	Mensa	Octans	Pavo	Phoenix	Pictor
Reticulum	Telescopium	Triangulum Australe	Tucana	Vela	Volans

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