Crux (The Southern Cross) Constellation
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).
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.
Visibility of Crux Constellation
Location: Greenwich, UK
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Crux is currently not visible from Greenwich, UK
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).
