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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
wb_twilight Nautical TwilightWhat's Visible Now?
All Constellations » 

Crux (The Southern Cross) Constellation

Altitude: -35.8°   Azimuth: 215.8°   Direction: South-West

Crux (pronounced ˈkrʌks) is the Latin name of a constellation situated south of the celestial equator. As such, it is more easily visible from the southern hemisphere.

In English language this constellation is also known as "The Southern cross" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Cru" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Cruc" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Crucis" (pronounced ˈkruːsɪs) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Crucis (the brightest star of Crux based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Crucis (the 23th star in the constellation of Crux based on the Flamsteed catalog).

Crux is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.
Available Resources for Crux

Sky Chart of Crux Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Crux constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Crux in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Chart of  constellation
This constellation image is derivatve work based on original work by IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) CC-BY-3.0.

Visibility of Crux Constellation

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Crux is currently not visible from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt

The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations these times can have little relevance.

Bright Stars in Crux Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Crux constellation. See also the complete list of 48 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Crux. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR4853 β Crucis Mimosa 1.25 Variable; Multiple;
HR4730 α1 Crucis Acrux 1.33 Multiple;
HR4763 γ Crucis Gacrux 1.63 Variable; Multiple;
HR4731 α2 Crucis 1.73 Multiple;
HR4656 δ Crucis Imai 2.8 Variable;
HR4700 ε Crucis Ginan 3.59 Variable;
HR4898 μ1 Crucis 4.03 Double;
HR4679 ζ Crucis 4.04 Double;
HR4616 η Crucis 4.15 Double;
HR4599 θ1 Crucis 4.33 Double;
HR4897 λ Crucis 4.62 Variable;
HR4848 4.65 Double;
HR4842 ι Crucis 4.69 Double;
HR4603 θ2 Crucis 4.72 Variable;
HR4729 4.86 Multiple;
HR4823 4.93 Variable;
HR4899 μ2 Crucis 5.17 Variable; Double;
HR4830 5.31 Variable;
HR4908 5.32 Variable; Double;
HR4706 5.39 Variable;
...go to the complete list of 48 bright stars in the constellation of Crux

(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.

Deep Sky Objects in Crux Constellation

The table below lists all the deep sky objects in the Crux constellation. See also the complete list of 10 deep sky objects in the constellation of Crux. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 4609 (Coalsack Cluster) Open Cluster 6.9 (V)
H05 Open Cluster 7.1 (V)
NGC 4103 Open Cluster 7.4 (V)
NGC 4349 Open Cluster 7.4 (V)
NGC 4439 Open Cluster 8.4 (V)
NGC 4052 Open Cluster 8.8 (V)
NGC 4337 Open Cluster 8.9 (V)
NGC 4184 Open Cluster N/A
NGC 4755 (Herschel's Jewel Box) Open Cluster N/A
C099 (Coalsack Nebula) Dark Nebula N/A