Cosmic Pursuits

Basic astronomy and night sky information

southern cross

A Northern Observer Discovers the Southern Skies

by Joe Bergeron Filed Under: Stargazing

The Southern Cross and the Coalsack. Image credit: Joe Bergeron.

Imagine a young stargazer living at a latitude of 42 degrees north.

Polaris, the fabled North Star, shines far above the northern horizon. Around it wheel the circumpolar constellations of Ursa Major, Cassiopeia, Draco, and Cepheus, ancient landmarks of the northern sky.

In the south, the tail of Scorpius brushes low along the horizon for a few brief months of Summer. Those stars are among the most southerly he can see. But from his star maps, the young stargazer knows that farther south lie some of the greatest wonders of the entire celestial sphere, all the way down to the obscure South Celestial Pole. Yet the poor lad can never see them. The obstinate bulk of the spherical Earth hides them forever [Read more…] about A Northern Observer Discovers the Southern Skies

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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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