Crux

Crux, the Southern Cross, is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations but one of the most distinctive. It is prominent in the southern sky and appears on the flags of several nations including Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil. Its four main stars form a cross pattern that has been used for celestial navigation in the Southern Hemisphere for centuries. The Coalsack Nebula, one of the most prominent dark nebulae, borders Crux.

The Hercules family includes constellations associated with the legendary strongman and his twelve labors. It is the second-largest constellation family after Ursa Major, encompassing much of the summer sky visible from northern latitudes. Hercules himself is the fifth-largest constellation by area, though none of his stars are brighter than third magnitude — a fitting irony for such a famous figure.

Mythology & History

Heracles (Hercules in Roman tradition) was the greatest of Greek heroes, a son of Zeus known for his extraordinary strength. His twelve labors — from slaying the Nemean Lion to capturing Cerberus — are reflected in several constellations. The constellation Hercules is depicted kneeling, and its central asterism, the Keystone, represents the hero's torso. Associated constellations include Hydra (the multi-headed serpent), Sagitta (the arrow), Lyra (Orpheus's lyre, a fellow Argonaut), and Aquila (Zeus's eagle). Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, was Ariadne's wedding crown placed in the sky by Dionysus.

Observation Tips

Hercules family constellations dominate the summer sky. The Keystone asterism in Hercules contains M13, the Great Hercules Cluster — one of the finest globular clusters in the northern sky, containing over 300,000 stars visible as a fuzzy patch to the naked eye. Lyra hosts Vega, the fifth-brightest star in the sky and a vertex of the Summer Triangle. The Ring Nebula (M57) between Beta and Gamma Lyrae is a favorite planetary nebula for amateur astronomers.

HIP 63117HIP 63136HIP 63140HIP 63150HIP 63166HIP 63167HIP 63170HIP 63175HIP 63205HIP 63206HIP 63230HIP 58265HIP 58379HIP 59575AcruxHIP 58783HIP 58794HIP 58856HIP 58875HIP 58909HIP 58910HIP 59026HIP 59032HIP 59045HYG 118821HIP 59069HIP 59084HIP 59090HIP 59101HIP 59111HIP 59112HIP 59114HIP 59116Kap CruLam CruMimosaHIP 59200HIP 59213HIP 59231HIP 59251HIP 59265HIP 59266HIP 59282HIP 59288HIP 59318HIP 59396HIP 59409HIP 60679

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Crux constellation?
Crux (Cru) is one of the 88 IAU-recognized constellations in the Southern hemisphere. Crux, the Southern Cross, is the smallest of the 88 modern constellations but one of the most distinctive. It is prominent in the southern sky and appears on the flags of several nations including Aus
How many stars are cataloged in Crux?
StarFYI currently catalogs 382 stars in the constellation Crux.
What is the brightest star in Crux?
The brightest star in Crux is Acrux.
How large is the Crux constellation?
Crux covers 68.45 square degrees of the sky.
What family does Crux belong to?
Crux belongs to the Hercules Family of constellations.