Gamma Delta Beta Acrux
Crux (/krʌks/) is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a crossshaped commonly known as the Southern Cross.
The name Crux is Latin for cross. Acrux is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Crux.
The Crux can be found at the southern end of the Milky Way’s visible band, circling around the near southern celestial pole. Even though it is the smallest of all 88 modern constellations, Crux is among the most easily distinguished as its four main bright stars.
Several southern countries and organisations have traditionally used Crux as a national or distinctive symbol. examples are the flags of Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Samoa.
The Crux or Southern Cross is frequently used for navigation to find south similily how the star Polaris is used in the Northern Hemisphere to find north.
Method show in image:
1. Draw a line through the 2 stars at the “head” and the “foot” of the cross and extend out into the sky (Line 1).
2. Then join a line between the two pointers (Line 2).
3. Find the middle of Line 2 then draw a perpendicular line down toward Line 1 until the lines meet.
4. The point at which lines 1 and 3 intersect is the south celestial pole.
5. From there just look straight down to the horizon and you’ve found south.
Actual south pole Southern Cross Southern PointersOrion is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world.
It is one of the most recognizable constellation in the night sky with its three bright stars often known as Orion’s belt. Its brightest stars are the blue-white Rigel (Beta Orionis) and the red Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis).
Orion’s constellation is imagined to be holding a club and shield with a sword tied to his waist.
Orion is named after a hunter from Greek mythology as most of today’s 88 constellations recognized by the IAU were established by the mesopotamians and then later the greeks.
Orion is very useful as an aid to locating other stars. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky and apart of the constellation Canis Major Procyon is the brightest star in the constellation of Canis Minor Aldebaran is a star located in the zodiac constellation of Taurus.
Canis Major & Canis Minor are constellations in the southern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for “greater dog” in contrast to Canis Minor, the “lesser dog”; both figures are commonly represented as following the constellation of Orion the hunter through the sky as dogs.
Canis Major contains Sirius, the brightest star in the Earth;s night sky, known as the “dog star”.
Betelgeuse Rigel Sirius Canis Major Canis MinorThe 12 Zodiac Constellations
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky containing all the 12 zodiac constellations well know as sign stars. This means if you can idenfity one of these constellation in the night sky you have find them all as they are lined up in a row.
Aries
Aries is located between Pisces and Taurus and it’s name is Latin for ram. It’s astronomical symbol is ♈. Aries has represented a ram since late Babylonian times. Aries is a relatively dim constellation, possessing only four bright stars
Taurus
Taurus is located between Aries and Gemini and to the southeast Orion and it’s name is Latin for ‘the Bull’. It’s astronomical symbol is ♉︎.
The constellation’s brightest star, Aldebaran (Arabic for “the follower”; also called Alpha Tauri), is the 14th brightest star in the sky.
Taurus holds well known star cluster called the Pleiades or Seven Sisters.
Pleiades
Aldebaran
Gemini is located between Taurus and Cancer, Canis Minor to the south and Orion to the south-west. It’s name is Latin for ‘twins’. It’s astronomical symbol is ♊︎.
The two brightest star in Gemini are named after two twin half-brothers from Greek Mythology, Castor and Pollux.
Cancer is located between Gemini and Leo and Canis Minor to the southwest. It’s name is Latin for ‘crab’ and it’s astronomical symbol is ♋︎.
Cancer is the second dimmest of the zodiacal constellations, having only two stars above the fourth magnitude.
Leo is located between Cancer and Virgo and It’s astronomical symbol is ♌︎. Leo’s brightest star is Regulus meaning ‘prince’ or ‘little king’ in latin.
It’s name is Latin for ‘lion’ and to in Greek Mythology represented the Nemean Lion killed by the hero Heracles as one of his twelve labors. Located south to Leo is the smaller faint constellation Leo Minor, its name is latin for ‘the smaller lion’.
Gemini Cancer Leo
Pollux
Castor
Leo Minor
Regulus
Virgo is located between Leo and Libra and it’s name is Latin for ‘maiden’ and Its astronomical symbol is ♍︎. Virgo can be easily found through its brightest star, Spica.
Virgo Libra
Libra is fairly faint constellation located between Virgo and Scorpius. It’s name is Latin for ‘scales’ or ‘balance’ and it’s astronomical symbol is ♎︎. Libra is seen as weighing scales but many during cultures also seen Libra as the Claws of the Scorpion. That scorpion being the nearby constellation Scorpius.
Scorpius
Scorpius is located between Libra and Sagittarius, it’s astronomical symbol is ♏︎. Scorpius contains many bright stars, including it’s brightness, Antares, often referred to as “the heart of the scorpion” and “rival of Mars” for its distinct reddish hue.
At scorpion’s curved tail are the stars Shaula and Lesath, whose names both mean “sting.” Because they are so close to each other, they are sometimes referred to as the Cat’s Eyes. In Greek mythology, Scorpius is associated with the scorpion connected to Orion, the hunter, when he boasted to the goddess Artemis that he would kill every animal on Artemis or sometimes Gaia, Mother Nature, sent a scorpion to kill Orion. After Zeus raised Orion and the scorpion to the sky, the Orion hunts every winter but flees every summer when the scorpion comes.
Spica Shaula LesathSagittarius
Sagittarius is located between Scorpius and Capricornus and it’s name is Latin for ‘archer’. It’s astronomical symbol is ♐︎.
Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow. The constellation’s brighter stars form an recognizable shape known as “The Teapot” with the fainter stars providing the outline of the horse’s body.
Sagittarius famously points its arrow at the heart of Scorpius, the reddish star Antares.
Capricornus
Capricornus is located between Sagittarius and Aquarius and it’s astronomical symbol is ♑︎.
It’s name is Latin for ‘horned goat’ or ‘goat horn’ and is commonly represented as a sea goat: a mythical creature that is half goat, half fish.
Aquarius
Aquarius is located between Capricornus and Pisces and it’s astronomical symbol is ♒.
It’s name is Latin for ‘water-carrier’ or ‘cup-carrier’ as the constellation is a representation of water.
Pisces
Pisces is located between Aquarius and Aries, it’s astronomical symbol is ♓︎.
It’s name is Latin for ‘fishies’ and is seens as a distant pair of fishes connected to each other.
