The Southern Cross, also called Crux, despite being the smallest of all the constellations, is one of the most important, especially for the peoples of the Southern hemisphere. It consists of one of the 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union (UAI).
João de Faras, astronomer at Cabral's squadron, was the first to document the existence of the cross-shaped constellation in 1500. Another important reference to the Cruzeiro do Sul was that made by Florentino Corsali, in 1515, calling it Cruz Maravilhosa. However, it was only in 1617, through studies carried out by Augustim Royer, that the name Cruzeiro do Sul was established.
Its arms are formed by four stars of the first magnitude. Cataloged by Ptolemy, the Cruzeiro do Sul is an excellent watch, as the line formed by its Rubídea and Magellan stars (its longest arm) rotate around the pole at approximately 24 hours. This longer arm also serves to identify the South Pole, located at a distance of 3.5 times the longitude of the constellation itself.
It is one of the best known formations in the southern sky, it is located near the South Pole and its visualization is only possible in the southern hemisphere or regions of the northern hemisphere, close to the equator.
Southern Cross Constellation
Cruzeiro do Sul was part of the Centaur constellation, however, it was separated due to its own characteristics, such as the disposition and intense brightness of its five stars, which are:
Magellan Star – is the brightest, located at the bottom of the longest arm of the cross.
Mimosa – is the second brightest, representing one side of the smaller arm of the cross.
Pale – gets its name from the fact that it is the least bright star on the cross, it makes up one side of the smaller arm of the cross.
Rubídea – has a reddish color, represents the upper part of the longest arm of the cross.
Nosy - it is the fifth star of Cruzeiro do Sul, receives this name for not being part of the formation of the cross. It is less bright than the Pale, however, it is of fundamental importance as it facilitates the location of the constellation.
In Brazil, the formation of Cruzeiro do Sul is present in the republican shield (Bandeira do Brasil) and names the most important military Order of the country, in addition to being represented on the flag of the state of Paraná and naming a city in Acre, as well as a soccer team from Minas Gerais, the Cruise.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
Brazil School Team
Curiosities - geography - Brazil School
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/cruzeiro-sul.htm
