How to find Crux
The smallest constellation in the sky, and the southern hemisphere's pole-finding signpost.
Acrux — the bright foot of the cross (Alpha Crucis).
Crux, the Southern Cross, is tiny but mighty — the smallest of all 88 constellations and the most important navigation marker in the southern sky. It appears on several national flags of the southern hemisphere.
It's not visible from most of the northern hemisphere; you need to be at low northern or any southern latitude to see it well.
Finding south without a pole star
The southern sky has no bright pole star. Instead, extend the long axis of the Southern Cross about four and a half times its length to find the south celestial pole, then drop straight down to the horizon for true south.
Nearby, the two bright 'Pointer' stars of Centaurus help distinguish the true Cross from impostor patterns.
How to find it
- From southern latitudes, look toward the south for a compact, kite-like cross of four bright stars in the Milky Way
- The two bright Pointer stars of Centaurus sit just beside it
- Extend the long axis ~4.5× to locate the south celestial pole
Deep-sky highlights
- The Jewel Box (NGC 4755) — a brilliant, colourful open cluster
- The Coalsack — a dark nebula silhouetted against the Milky Way
Stella shows exactly when Crux is highest from your location tonight — and whether the sky is worth it.
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