Cosmic Pursuits

Basic astronomy and night sky information

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The Constellation Crux – The Southern Cross

by Brian Ventrudo Filed Under: Deep Sky

Image of the southern Milky Way showing Crux and the dark Coalsack Nebula, just right of center; the Southern Pointers Rigil Kent and Hadar, left of center, and the eta Carinae Nebula at extreme right. Credit: A. Fuji.
Image of the southern Milky Way showing Crux and the dark Coalsack Nebula, just right of center; the Southern Pointers Rigil Kent and Hadar, left of center, and the eta Carinae Nebula at extreme right. Credit: A. Fuji.

Following the southern Milky Way, through the bright constellations Orion, Canis Major, Puppis, Vela, and Carina, you finally arrive at the famous constellation Crux, the Southern Cross, arguably the most famous constellation in the night sky.  It’s also the smallest constellation by area, just 68 square degrees compared to Hydra’s 1302 square degrees.  Most new stargazers are a little startled by its tiny size.  The cross is just 6o long from top to bottom.

(This article is an excerpt of the Cosmic Pursuits course Fundamentals of Stargazing, to be released in February 2016) [Read more…] about The Constellation Crux – The Southern Cross

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