How to find Crux, the Southern Cross
Crux, the Southern Cross, is a compact constellation marked by four bright stars in a cross shape. It is a familiar landmark for southern observers, but most northern locations cannot see the full figure. Start by checking whether it rises at your latitude.
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Recognize the Cross and its pointers
Crux is the smallest of the 88 constellations, but its four main stars are bright. Acrux marks the foot of the long axis and Gacrux its top; Mimosa and Imai make the crossbar. Nearby Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri are known as the Pointers. Identify the pair on the map and follow their alignment toward the Cross: extend the line from Alpha through Beta Centauri by about a fist (10 degrees) and it passes close to the Cross. They belong to Centaurus, not Crux, but they help you find the correct compact pattern.
Southern Cross at a glance
Every star of the Southern Cross climbs above the horizon at some point in the year from anywhere south of about 27°N. It never sets south of about 33°S. At 9 pm it stands high (30° or more) from 50°N in no month of the year, and from 35°S from Feb to Jul.
| Latitude | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50°N | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 35°N | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 35°S | Low | High | High | High | High | High | High | Low | Low | — | — | — |
| Star | Magnitude | Light-years | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrux | 0.77 | 322 | Blue-white |
| Mimosa | 1.25 | 279 | Blue-white |
| Gacrux | 1.59 | 89 | Red-orange |
| Imai | 2.79 | 345 | Blue-white |
“High” is 30° or more above the horizon, “Low” 10° to 30°. Times are local mean time; daylight saving moves the clock an hour later. A lower magnitude is a brighter star. Distances are from the HYG catalogue, rounded.
Check whether the Cross is above your horizon
Set your observing location, date and time. Open search, type “Crux” and select the constellation. Compare all four main stars with the horizon: seeing part of the figure above it does not mean the whole Cross is up.
Far enough south, Crux stays above the horizon throughout its daily circuit. Closer to the equator it rises and sets, so the hour and season matter. From tropical northern locations there can be a low southern view; from much of the Northern Hemisphere it remains hidden.
Southern Cross or False Cross?
A broader cross-shaped pattern nearby is the False Cross, made from stars in Carina and Vela. It is more spread out and dimmer, and no bright pair of pointers leads to it. It lies on the other side of the Cross from the Pointers. A cross shape alone is therefore not enough. Check both the compact proportions of Crux and its relationship to the Centaurus Pointers in the map.
This is more dependable than choosing whichever four stars first look like a cross, especially when haze or city light hides surrounding stars.
Find south from the Cross
Compare the Cross’s long axis, from Gacrux to Acrux, with its shorter crossbar. Extend the long axis beyond Acrux by about four and a half times its length, and you reach the region of the south celestial pole. Drop straight down from that point to the horizon, and you are facing roughly south.
Acrux itself is not the pole, and the Cross is not always directly above due south. Its orientation changes as the sky turns, so the long axis will not always look vertical. Use this as an observing clue; Above Tonight is not a navigation instrument.
When and from where
South of about 33 degrees south, Crux never sets. It stands highest in the evening from roughly April to July, in the southern autumn and winter. Closer to the equator it rises and sets, and from the northern tropics it climbs only a little way above the southern horizon. If the Cross is hidden from your latitude, try Orion in its evening season.
Judge size with your hand
At arm’s length a fist spans about 10 degrees and your little finger about 1 degree. The Cross is only about 6 degrees tall, well under one fist, and the two Pointers are about 4 degrees apart. The south celestial pole lies roughly 27 degrees from Acrux, a little under three fists.
Questions people ask
Where to look for the Southern Cross tonight?
Face south in the Southern Hemisphere. How high it stands and which way it leans depends on the hour and season: upright and high on autumn and winter evenings, lower and tilted at other times. Search for Crux on the sky map to see its place for your location and time.
Where is the Southern Cross most visible?
From the Southern Hemisphere, especially south of about 33 degrees south, where it never sets. It appears on the flags of Australia and New Zealand. It stands highest in the evening from roughly April to July. Near the equator it is lower and seasonal.
Where in the US can you see the Southern Cross?
Only low on the southern horizon from the far south: southern Florida, southern Texas and Hawaii, on spring evenings. Even there it needs a clear, unobstructed southern view, and at best the Cross climbs only about a fist or so above the horizon. From most of the US it never rises.
How do the Pointers help?
Alpha and Beta Centauri are two bright stars close together. They point toward the Cross, which is more compact and a little fainter. Find the pair first, then follow their line about a fist (10 degrees) to the Cross. Check the result on the sky map.