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David

Darling

Crux

Crux constellation

Crux. © 2003 Torsten Bronger.


Crux (abbreviation: Cru), the Cross, is a tiny but brilliant southern constellation invisible from most of the populated northern hemisphere. Surrounded on three sides by Centaurus, with Musca to the south, it is well seen only south of the Tropic of Cancer.

 

NGC 4463
NGC 4463. Credit: ESO Digitised Sky Survey.

 

Crux contains the most famous of dark nebulae, Coalsack, and several bright open clusters, including the Jewel Box, NGC 4349 (magnitude 7.4; diameter 16 arcminutes; RA 12h 24.5m, Dec –61° 54'), and NGC 4463, part of which is also in Musca (magnitude 7.2; diameter 5 arcminutes; RA 12h 30.0m, Dec –64° 48'). See below for details of the constellation's brightest stars.

 


Stars brighter than magnitude 4.0
star vis mag abs mag spec type distance (ly) RA (h m s) Dec (° ' ")
Alpha (Acrux) 0.77 -4.19   321    
   Alpha-1 1.58 -3.9 B0.5IV   12 26 36 -63 05 56
   Alpha-2 2.09 -3.4 B1V 170 12 26 37 -63 05 58
Beta (Mimosa) 1.25 -3.92 B0.5III 353 12 47 43 -59 41 19
Gamma (Gacrux) 1.59 -0.56 M3.5III 88 12 31 10 -57 06 47
Delta 2.79 -2.45 B2IV 364 12 15 09 -58 44 54
Epsilon 3.59 -0.63 K3III 228 12 21 22 -60 24 04

 


Constellations
Andromeda | Antlia | Apus | Aquarius | Aquila | Ara | Aries | Auriga | Bootes | Caelum | Camelopardalis | Cancer | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Capricornus | Carina | Cassiopeia | Centaurus | Cepheus | Cetus | Chamaeleon | Circinus | Columba | Coma Berenices | Corona Austrina | Corona Borealis | Corvus | Crater | Crux | Cygnus | Delphinus | Dorado | Draco | Equuleus | Eridanus | Fornax | Gemini | Grus | Hercules | Horologium | Hydra | Hydrus | Indus | Lacerta | Leo | Leo Minor | Lepus | Libra | Lupus | Lynx | Lyra | Mensa | Microscopium | Monoceros | Musca | Norma | Octans | Ophiuchus | Orion | Pavo | Pegasus | Perseus | Phoenix | Pictor | Pisces | Piscis Austrinus | Puppis | Pyxis | Reticulum | Sagitta | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Sculptor | Scutum | Serpens | Sextans | Taurus | Telescopium | Triangulum | Triangulum Australe | Tucana | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Vela | Virgo | Volans | Vulpecula