1. – Southern Cross – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand Interpretations of the Southern Cross The Southern Cross constellation is one of the striking features of the southern hemisphere sky. It is one of the first star patterns that New Zealand children learn to recognise. The 16th-century European navigators who sailed into southern seas perceived it as a symbol of their Christian faith. The Southern Cross is evocative of place or origin to many peoples, appearing on national flags, company logos and memorials in New Zealand and elsewhere in the southern hemisphere. Flags that fly the Southern Cross Depicted either as four or five stars, the Southern Cross features on the national flags of New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. It also appears on the Australian flags of Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory, and on the flag of Chile’s Magallanes region. The flag of the Southern Common Market, the South American trading bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, also depicts the constellation. Patriotism When New Zealand soldiers sailed off to to fight in South Africa at the beginning of the 20th century, they were singing: ‘We are the boys of the Southern Cross, our stars shine on our flags’.

Over a century later the constellation continues to be relevant to nationhood and national honour. It is depicted on the New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, unveiled in 2004. Featured on the lid of the tomb, the stars are seen to have guided the warrior back to New Zealand from distant battlefields. The Southern Cross as a name It pays to be specific when using the term Southern Cross in New Zealand, for apart from its astronomical association, the name has been used for planes, boats, newspapers, and numerous commercial ventures. The first aeroplane to cross the Tasman Sea, in September 1928, was the Southern Cross, a three-engine Fokker, flown by Charles Kingsford Smith and C. T. P. Ulm. A number of ships have been named Southern Cross, but perhaps the most famous was the Shaw Savill passenger liner that brought assisted immigrants from Great Britain to New Zealand in the mid-1950s and 1960s. Two national newspapers have been published under the name: a successful paper from colonial days, which merged with the New Zealand Herald in 1876; and a short-lived Labour Party daily (1946–51).

Appearance Once visible to ancient Greek astronomers, the stars of the Southern Cross disappeared from their view due to the rotating earth wobbling like a top (precessing). Although the Southern Cross is the smallest of the 88 official constellations, it has achieved prominence from its value as a navigational aid. It is visible throughout the year in southern skies. The four brightest stars form a distinctive cross with a long axis and a short crossbar. A fifth star, located just below the crossbar, is often included in depictions of the constellation. This star is fainter than the others and not always visible. On clear nights, away from city lights, those with good eyesight should be able to see 34 stars in the Southern Cross. A telescope reveals thousands more. Māori interpretations There are different traditional interpretations of the Southern Cross in New Zealand, and it is known by at least eight different names in Māori. Tainui Māori saw it as an anchor, named Te Punga, of a great sky canoe, while to Wairarapa Māori it was Māhutonga – an aperture in Te Ikaroa (the Milky Way) through which storm winds escaped.

Constellations A constellation is a group of stars viewed from the Earth. Within each group, imaginary lines to produce patterns can connect the stars. Ancient astronomers saw in these pattern pictures of the animals and heroes of their myths that had been placed in the sky by the gods. More than half the constellations have names that came from the Greeks and Romans, who probably got them from the Babylonians. There are 88 constellations recognized by astronomers today. The Greek astronomer Ptolemy, who lived in the 2nd century AD, named 48 constellations in a book called the Almagest, and 40 more have been added since. The majority of Ptolemy's names have been retained. European astronomers gave most of the others to the constellations of the southern sky in the 17th and 18th centuries. Although all the stars in the same constellation look closer together in the sky, they are not necessarily close in space because some may be much further away than others. The constellations exist purely as an accidental result of the way stars appear to us on the Earth. From one place on the Earth different constellations are seen at different times of the year.

This happens because, as well as turning on its axis, the Earth is always moving round the Sun, making one circle each year. A constellation, which is visible during one part of the year, may appear close to the Sun six months later; it would not then appear in the night sky. Some constellations can only be seen from the Northern Hemisphere and some only from the Southern Hemisphere. Thus the constellation Ursa Major cannot be seen from the Southern Hemisphere, while the Southern Cross cannot be seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The path of the Sun among the stars is called the ecliptic. The twelve constellations, which lie along the ecliptic, form the Zodiac. The other constellations are divided into those north of the Zodiac and those south of it. Every one of the constellations has some special stars in it. Here we shall mention only some of the most famous constellations and stars. Many of the names are taken from the Greek myths. One of the best known of all constellations is Ursa Major, the Great Bear.

Its seven brightest start form a figure which has come to have several names, such as the Plow, the Big Dipper, Charles' Wain, David's Chariot, and the Bier of Lazarus. The two stars furthest from the handle of the Plow are called the "Pointers", because they point at Polaris. The constellation Orion is usually drawn as a hunter, whose belt is marked out by three bright stars. The bright star above the belt, when viewed from the Northern Hemisphere is Betelgeuse (astronomical name Orionis), a yellowish-red star. The bright white star Rigel (Orionis) is below the belt. The positions of Betelgeuse and Rigel are reversed when Orion is viewed from the Southern Hemisphere. The hunter has two dogs: the greater, Canis Major, and the lesser, Canis Minor. The most important star in Canis Major is Sirius, the Dog Star (Canis Majoris), the brightest of all the stars we can see, and one of the nearest stars to the Sun. Also near to Orion is Gemini, the Twins, one of the constellations of the Zodiac.

The two brightest stars in Gemini are the mythical twins Castor (Geminorum) and Pollux (Geminnorum). Another constellation of the Zodiac is Leo, the Lion, supposed to be the lion killed by Hercules. It contains the bright star Regulus (Leonis). Another of Hercules' victims is Draco, the Dragon, near Polaris, supposed to be the dragon guarding the golden apples in the garden of the Hesperides. Near by is the plowman Bootes, with the bright orange-red star Arcturus (Bootes). The scorpion, which killed Orion, appears as the constellation Scorpio. At its heart is the reddish star Antares (Scorpii), one of the largest stars known. It is many hundred times bigger than the Sun. The brightest star lying closest to the North Pole marked by Polaris is Vega (Lyrae), in the constellation Lyra, the Harp. It has a very faint star next to it in the sky, but the two stars are not physically close to each other and only appear so from Earth.

Perseus, his wife Andromeda, whom he saved from the sea-monster, and her parents Cepheus and Cassiopeia, are all constellations. Cassiopeia, on the other side of Polaris from the Great Bear, is easy to recognize. It has five bright stars forming a large W. In Perseus is the bright Algol (Persei). Algol means "demon" and the star was probably given this name by ancient peoples who discovered that it is not always of the same brightness. At regular intervals, slightly less than three days apart, it becomes fainter for a while, and then recovers its brightness. This happens because it is really two stars going round each other, one of which is much fainter than the other; when faint star moves between the bright one and the Earth it causes a reduction in brightness. The brightest stars of the famous constellation Crux, in the southern sky, appear on the flags of Australia and New Zealand. � 1988 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

Difference Between Australia Flag and New Zealand Flag Home / Countries / Australia / General / Difference Between Australia Flag and New Zealand Flag Difference Between Australia Flag and New Zealand Flag Posted on by Jay Last updated on: August 19, 2014 Australia Flag vs New Zealand Flag Australia and New Zealand are countries that were previously under the British rule and therefore, it is no wonder their two national flags are quite similar in many ways. However, if one looks more closely, certain subtle difference between Australia flag and New Zealand flag can be noted. Australian Flag A Defaced Blue Ensign, the Australian flag features the Union Jack in the canton with what is referred to as a Commonwealth Star embedded in the lower hoist quarter of the flag and the Southern Cross constellation on the other side of the flag . The Commonwealth Star takes the center stage in the Australian national flag. This seven pointed star epitomizes the six founding states in addition to Australian territories. This commonwealth star can be found under the Union Jack, which is at the top left corner of the flag and represents Australia’s history of British settlement. Furthermore, the Southern Cross constellation on the right of the Australian flag has four seven pointed stars and one small five pointed star.

It is a group of stars seen in the southern sky of Australia. The colour of the Australian national flag is blue, white and red. (Photo By: Blanca Garcia Gil [ CC BY-SA 2.0 ]) The specifications of the current Australian flag were gazetted in 1934 while it was in 1954 that it became legally defined as the Australian National Flag in the Flags Act 1953. Australia also has two other official flags; one each to represent Australia’s aborigines and Torrent islanders. Australian Aboriginal Flag is black, red and yellow. The black colour represents the Aboriginal people of Australia. The red represents the earth and the spiritual relation to the land. The yellow circle in the center represents the sun. Torres Strait Islander Flag has green, blue, black, and white colours in it; green to represent the land, blue for the sea, and black to represent black the Torres Strait Islander people. The white colour denotes a symbol of peace.

New Zealand Flag (Photo By: Tākuta [ CC BY-SA 2.0 ]) A defaced Blue Ensign with the Union Jack in the canton recalling the country’s British colonial ties, the New Zealand National Flag also represents four five-pointed red stars with white borders on the right. The New Zealand flag does not have any indication of the Commonwealth Star. In its’ Southern Cross, the New Zealand flag has one less star and it is colored red with white borders. The Southern Cross constellation indicates the location of New Zealand in the south of the Pacific Ocean. It has four five-pointed stars. These four stars which vary slightly in size from one another, represent the brightest stars in the constellation of the Southern Cross. The Union Jack featured in the New Zealand flag reflects the fact that the country had been previously colonized by the British. This flag which became the National Flag of New Zealand in 1902 uses the colours white, blue and red while its proportion is at 1:2. The clear sky and blue sea surrounding the New Zealand is represented by the royal blue colour in the flag.

The New Zealand Flag is said to be the first National Flag to use the Southern Cross constellation in its design while it remains the only flag to use only the four stars that form the actual cross. New Zealand too has other official flags, in addition to the New Zealand national flag. The red, black and white national Maori flag represent the Maori people. Difference between Australia and New Zealand Flag The differences between the Australia Flag and New Zealand flags are many but they are very subtle. For one to see it, one has to be very discerning. • While the Australian flag features the Commonwealth Star, the New Zealand flag does not have it. This is because the Commonwealth star is a symbol of Australia. • The Australian’s flag’s Southern Cross has four seven pointed stars and one with five; the New Zealand flag has only four five pointed stars. • The Australian flag has the Southern Cross in white; the New Zealand flag has the Southern Cross portrayed with red stars with white borders. • The New Zealand Flag is the first flag to use the Southern constellation in its design. It is also the only flag to use only the brightest and most prominent stars • Both flags have Union Jack reflecting that both were once British colonies.

The Australian Flag Home > ANBG > Australian Flag The Australian Flag The Australian Flag came into being after the the federation of the Australian States into the Commonwealth of Australian on 1 January, 1901. The Commonwealth Blue Ensign was selected a a result of a public competition (over 30 000 designs were submitted); although selected in 1901 and gazetted in 1903, it was not given Royal assent and adopted as the definitive Australian flag until 1954 in the Flags Act 1953 (Act No. 1 of 1954)! It is based on the Blue Ensign of the United Kingdom, is twice as long as it is wide, and consists of a dark blue field that can be notionally divided into four quadrants. There is a different motif in each of the upper and lower hoist quadrants and the remaining two quadrants of the fly share another different constellation motif. The present Australian flag can be considered to consist of three main elements: The Union Jack in the upper hoist quadrant or first quarter (also know as the Canton), denoting Australia's historical links with Great Britain.

The Union Jack itself is composed of red and white intersecting and overlayed vertical and diagonal crosses on a blue background, The Southern Cross in the second quarter (also known as the top or head) and fourth quarter. Consists of five stars in a more or less kite-like pattern - Alpha Crucis (7-point), Beta Crucis (7-point), Gamma Crucis (7-point), Delta Crucis (7-point) and the smaller Epsilon Crucis (5-point). The outer diameter of each of the 4 major stars is 1/7 the width of the fly and the inner diameter is 4/9 outer diameter; the diameter of Epsilon Crucis is 1/12 the width of the fly and the inner diameter is 4/9 the outer diameter. The constellation of the Southern Cross is a significant navigational feature of the southern hemisphere, strongly places Australia geographically and has been associated with the continent since its earliest days, The Commonwealth Star or Star of Federation, central in the third quarter or lower hoist, has seven points to denote the six states and the combined territories of the Commonwealth. The seventh point was added in 1909.

The outer diameter is 3/5 the width of the Union Jack (3/10 the width of the fly) and the inner diameter is 4/9 the outer diameter. Other Australian Ensigns The Australian Army is represented by and protector of the Australian National Flag. In addition to the the Commonwealth Ensign, there are three other official Australian ensigns: The Australian Red Ensign - Merchant Navy, as for the Australian flag, but with a red field with white stars. Proclaimed in the Flags Act 1953. Covers Australian registered ships under section 30 of the Shipping Registration Act 1981. The Australian White Ensign - Royal Australian Navy - as for the Australian flag but with a white field and dark blue stars. Gazetted in 1967. The Sky-blue Ensign - Royal Australian Air Force - as for the Australian flag but with a pale blue field, the southern cross rotated clockwise c. 20 degrees and the blue roundel with white inner and red kangaroo of the Royal Australian Air Force in the lower fly. Gazetted in 1982.

Flags Similar to the Australian Flag Several nations and territories have flags with similar appearance to the Australian National Flag, reflecting either a common British colonial history or previous association with Austrlaia. Most notable is the New Zealand National Flag, a Blue Ensign with a Southern Cross of four red stars. State and Territory Flags Each of the six states of Australia has its own Official State Flag consisting of a Blue Ensign defaced with the badge or heraldic device of the state concerned; the heraldic devices are those represented in the Commonwealth Arms . The flags of the Australian territories and of more individual nature and are not based on the Blue Ensign. Other "Australian" Flags The Queen's Personal Flag for Australia This flag is for the Queen's personal use when in Australia and was approved by her in 1962. It is based on the Australian Commonwealth Arms in the form of a banner n the ratio 31:22 of the Arms in rectangular form with the Ermine border, superimposed with a large gold 7-pointed star at the centre, the star bearing a blue roundel with the gold initial 'E', the Royal Crown and a circle of gold roses.

It is use in the same manner as the Royal Standard in the United Kingdon, to denote the monach's presence. The Governor General's Flag This flag was gazetted for the personal use of the Queen's representative in Australia in 1936. It is a royal blue, twice as long as wide. It bears the Royal Crest in gold ('on a St Edward's Crown a Lion statant guardant also crowned') beneath which is a gold scroll with the words 'COMMONWEALTH of AUSTRALIA' in dark blue letters. It is flown continuously whenever the Govenor General is in residence and on vehicles in which he (or she?) is travelling. The "Eureka Flag" This is a famous but unofficial Australian flag, that features a white vertical cross on a blue background five whsite, blue-margined, 8-pointed stars superimposed at the end of each arm of the cross and at the intersection of the arms, a stylized Southern Cross. First used in Victoria in 1854 by a group of rebellious gold-miners protesting the cost of prospecting licences at the 'Eureka stockade', this flag has become the symbol of Australians prepared to fight to defend rights and liberties.

It has been adopted as a symbol by some of the more militant trade unions and has also been used as symbol of the republican movement. The Republican Movement Associated with recent republican activities in Australian there have been several campaigns to find a new Australian flag and other icons that reflect the 'true Australian identity'. The Eureka flag has been suggested as a suitable replacement for the current Australian flag. One proposal includes a flag with a blue field with a central enlarged Southern Cross. This issue of a new Australian Flag has created a great deal of spirited debate. The Flag of Aboriginal Australia This flag was adopted as the symbol of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people when it was first flown in 1971. It is a strident 3-colour flag composed of a large central yellow circle imposed on a background of a red lower half and a black upper half; the black represents the Aboriginal people, the yellow the sun as a life force, the red the earth and the blood of the Aboriginal people. It has no official government standing but is becoming widely recognized and acknowledged by the community and is perhaps the only symbol commonly accepted by the diversity of Aboriginal people.

Hawaiian Astronomical Society Deepsky Atlas - Crux Australis Maps Each map can be clicked on to produce a 916x1200 version of it. They sport red labels, which look good on screen, but which disappear when used with red flashlights. Each map, therefore has a second link to a map better suited for printing in a graphics program, and using in the field. While they are quite large, they are all about 50k, and so are easy to view at today's modem speeds. The first map is a wide area view of the constellation, suitable for naked eye browsing. The next views are binocular width, showing stars to mag. 10, deepsky objects to mag. 12.9, and labeling deepsky objects to magnitude 12. Interactive, wide area map of Crux Click the map for a 916x1200 version of the above. Click here for a map better suited for use in the field. Detailed View This a more detailed view of the constellation. The map displays stars to magnitude 10, and deepsky objects to magnitude 12. Click here for a map better suited for use in the field.

National Flags That Double As Geographic Representations | The Basement Geographer National Flags That Double As Geographic Representations by kuschk Above are two nearly identical national flags. The national flag on the right is exactly that – in this case the flag of India. The national flag on the left, however, is not just a national flag but also a geographic depiction of the country of the land it represents, Niger. It may not be obvious at first, but the flag was intentionally designed to eplicate (as much as it can with three horizontal stripes, anyway) the country’s three major environmental regions. The orange at the top represents the Sahara in the north of the country; the white in the middle represents the savannah in the centre; the green at the bottom represents the grassy plains and Niger River valley in the south. While nearly all countries have a designated meaning for the colours and symbols on their national banners (many of which include famous landmarks and symbolic depictions of natural features on them), few countries have actually arranged the colours and/or symbols on the banners to reflect relative geographic locations. Two national flags, those of Cyprus and Kosovo, actually go so far as to depict their entire country in proper-scale map form directly on the flag.

In efforts to avoid the use of previous existing national symbols associated with specific ethnic groups, both the Cypriot flag (1960) and the Kosovo flag (2008) instead employed maps to serve as neutral, unifying symbols. A similar method was employed in 1998 in the design of a new flag for Bosnia and Herzegovina. When representatives of the country’s three constituent peoples (Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks) could not agree on a design for Bosnia’s flag, one was chosen for them by the International High Representative . The design not only employed neutral colours and an ‘infinite’ band of stars representing Europe, but it also used a right triangle that mimicked the shape of Bosnia’s borders. Compare the real-world shape of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the abstract triangular version depicted on its flag. In addition to being an abstract representation of Bosnia’s borders, the three points of the triangle also represent each of the country’s three constituent peoples. The flag of Nauru is one of two national flags to depict a line of latitude. In this case, the yellow line represents the Equator.

Nauru lies barely half a degree south of the Equator and so is on the flag depicted in white (Nauru is one of the great phosphate islands of the Pacific , hence its white colouring) just barely below the yellow line. Its positioning well to the left of the centre of the flag is also a geographic representation, intended to depict the island’s location well to the west of the International Date Line. Another South Pacific country, Tuvalu, uses stars on its flag to depict its relative geographic location . The nine stars in the field of the flag may appear to be placed in random locations, but this is hardly the case. When the flag is flown from its hoist instead of horizontally, the arrangement of the stars reflects the relative positions of the country’s nine islands. A comparison of the position of the nine stars on the Tuvaluan flag with the actual relative positions of the country’s nine islands. The constraints of the flag’s dimension do force a bit of rearranging. Interestingly, the word Tuvalu translates to ‘eight together’, representative of the fact that the ninth and smallest Tuvaluan island, Niulakita , was not settled until 1949.

Above: the flags of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Christmas Island, and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, all of which prominently display the Southern Cross. Related to the geographic depiction of countries on flags is the depiction of constellations as they appear in the night sky above those countries. Among sovereign states and dependent territories, five countries and two territories show such arrangements. All of these territories lie in the southern hemisphere. As such, all of them display the constellation Crux , better known as the Southern Cross, the smallest of the 88 modern constellations in the night sky . As well, all of these territories, with one exception, belong to the Commonwealth of Nations. The flag of Brazil is the only non-Commonwealth country to depict the Southern Cross, but the cross is not the only constellation depicted on the Brazilian flag. Crux is just one of five separate constellations shown on the flag. In the centre of the flag is a celestial sphere that shows the sky above Rio de Janeiro at 8:30 in the morning on 15 November 1889, the day Brazil became a republic.

Each of the 27 stars in the flag represents one of the 26 states and the Federal District. The varying sizes of the stars indicate the relative area of each territorial division within Brazil; five separate magnitudes of stars are used. As well, the national motto Ordem e Progresso (‘Order and Progress’) is displayed on a white band wrapped around the sphere. While this white band was not originally intended to symbolise the Equator, it now serves that purpose with regard to the position of the star representing the state of Para, which straddles the Equator. Oddly, the same was not done for the stars representing the states of Amapa and Roraima, which were created later in 1943 . The constellations and/or prominent stars depicted on the Brazilian flag: 1) Procyon, 2) Canis Major, 3) Canopus, 4) Spica, 5) Hydra, 6) Crux, 7) Sigma Octantis (the South Star), 8) Triangulum Australe, 9) Scorpius. Further Reading Duarte, P.A. (). Astronomia na Bandeira Brasileira.

Planetário Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Available at . Accessed 7 August 2012 Flags of the World (2012). Flags of the World. Available at . Accessed 7 August 2012. Tanner, M. (1998). Outside world chooses new flag for Bosnia. The Independent, 5 February 1998. Available at . Accessed 6 August 2012. How to Spot Sky Landmarks: Big Dipper and Southern Cross How to Spot Sky Landmarks: Big Dipper and Southern Cross By Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist | April 23, 2012 04:00pm ET MORE This sky map shows the location of Ursa Major, the constellation containing the well known Big Dipper star pattern, as it appears in the late April night sky at mid-northern latitudes. Credit: Starry Night Software After the sun has set and the sky gets dark on these early spring evenings, what might be the most familiar pattern of stars for a stargazing neophyte to recognize?

If you live north of the equator, you need only look toward the northern part of the sky, where you will find the seven bright stars that comprise the famous Big Dipper. When I was starting out in astronomy as a young boy living in the Bronx, I had taken a book out of my local library — "The Boys Book of Astronomy," by Patrick Moore. But in Chapter 9 ("The Stars of Spring"), I became confused briefly, because Moore referred to the seven stars of the Big Dipper as "The Plough." It wasn’t until later that I realized that Moore is a revered British astronomer, and that in the British Isles those seven stars are widely known as The Plough. For most skywatchers , the Big Dipper (or Plough) is probably the most important group of stars in the sky. For anyone in the latitude of New York (41 degrees North) or points northward, it never goes below the horizon. It is one of the most recognizable patterns in the sky and thus one of the easiest for the novice to find. The Southern Cross But if you live south of the equator, it’s not the Big Dipper that people choose as their guide to the night sky.

Rather, it’s the constellation known as Crux, or the Southern Cross. Those in the Southern Hemisphere (where it is now early autumn) need only cast a glance toward the south where they’ll see the distinctive shape of the Cross hanging well up in the sky. Although known as a cross, it really looks more like a kite, clearly outlined by four bright stars. Two of those four, Acrux and Becrux, are first-magnitude stars, ranking among the 21 brightest in the sky. From top to bottom, Crux measures just 6 degrees — only a little taller than the distance between the pointer stars of the Big Dipper. [ Best Beginner Astrophotography Telescopes ] In fact, the Southern Cross is the smallest (in area) of all the constellations. It is also honored on the flags of such countries as Australia and New Zealand, and its image is found on numerous postage stamps. It is thought that Amerigo Vespucci was the first European voyager to see the "Four Stars," as he called them, while on his third voyage in 1501.

But Crux was actually visible everywhere in the United States some 5,000 years ago, as well as in ancient Greece and Babylonia . According to Richard Hinckley Allen (1838-1908), an expert in stellar nomenclature, the Southern Cross was last seen on the horizon of Jerusalem about the time that Christ was crucified. Thanks to precession — an oscillating motion of the Earth’s axis — over the centuries, the Cross gradually got shifted out of view well to the south. This sky map shows the location of the Southern Cross constellation, or Crux, as it appears in the late April sky to observers in the Southern Hemisphere. Credit: Starry Night Viewing the iconic constellations There are probably a number of you who have never seen either the Big Dipper or the Southern Cross and might wonder about how far you might have to travel in order to get a view of them. Coincidentally, at this time of the year, both are attaining their highest positions in the sky at the same time: just before midnight local daylight time. To see Crux, one must go at least as far south as latitude 25 degrees North.

In the continental United States, that means heading to the Florida Keys, where you’ll see it just lifting fully above the southern horizon. A slightly better view is afforded to those living in Hawaii, where the Cross appears several degrees higher. For Southern Hemisphere dwellers who want to see the Big Dipper, you must go north of latitude 25 degrees South to see it in its entirety. Across the northern half of Australia, for instance, you can now just see the upside-down Dipper virtually scraping the northern horizon about an hour or two after sundown. In fact, it’s the opposite effect as that observed by people who live in north temperate locations like New York. They see the Dipper at a similar altitude above the northern horizon on early evenings in late November or early December — except the Dipper appears right-side up! Like the Big Dipper, whose Pointer stars point toward Polaris (the North Star), the Southern Cross indicates the location of the South Pole of the sky and as such is often utilized by navigators. The longer bar of the Cross points almost exactly toward the South Pole of the sky, which some aviators and navigators have named the "south polar pit" because, unfortunately, it is not marked by any bright star.

But don’t be fooled. Those who live south of the equator are probably well acquainted with four other bright stars nearby. Two belong to the constellation Vela (the Sails) and two belonging to Carina (the keel of the great ship Argo); they're known collectively as the "False Cross." [ 10 Skywatching Misconceptions Explained ] Not only do these four stars bear a superficial resemblance to the true Southern Cross, but they're even oriented in roughly the same way (though positioned a bit farther to the north). So an uninitiated observer might easily mistake the X-shaped False Cross for the true one, but only the latter points to the south celestial pole. Yet the False Cross will have its time of glory in the year 8600, when the pole will have shifted to a point just east of the cross-arms’ intersection. By then, perhaps when our descendants are asked where the South Pole of the sky is located, they can just say, "X marks the spot." Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium.

He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York. Doorstep Astronomy: See the Big Dipper Doorstep Astronomy: See the Big Dipper By Joe Rao, SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist | May 9, 2008 12:27am ET MORE As soon as darkness falls these evenings, step outside and look skyward. What is the most prominent and easiest star pattern to recognize? If you live in the Northern Hemisphere you only need to look overhead and toward the north where you will find the seven bright stars that comprise the famous Big Dipper. For most sky gazers, the Big Dipper is probably the most important group of stars in the sky. For anyone in the latitude of New York (41 degrees north) or points northward, it never goes below the horizon. It is one of the most recognizable patterns in the sky and thus one of the easiest for the novice to find. In other parts of the world, these seven stars are known not as a Dipper, but as some sort of a wagon.

In Ireland, for instance, it was recognized as "King David's Chariot," from one of that island's early kings; in France, it was the "Great Chariot." Another popular name was Charles's Wain (a wain being a large open farm wagon). And in the British Isles, these seven stars are known widely as "The Plough." Of greatest importance is the ability to utilize the Big Dipper to locate Polaris, the North Star . This is made possible by the two bright stars that mark the outer edge of the bowl of the Big Dipper. These two stars  Dubhe and Merak  are known as the "Pointers," because they always point to Polaris. Just draw a line, in your imagination, between these two stars and prolong it about 5 times the distance between these two stars and this line will ultimately hit a moderately bright star. That will be Polaris. The Southern Cross But for those who live in the Southern Hemisphere, it's not the Big Dipper that people choose as their guide to the night sky  but rather, it's the constellation known as Crux, the Southern Cross .

Those south of the equator (where the season is now midautumn), need only cast a glance toward the south where they'll see the distinctive shape of the Cross hanging well up in the sky. To some, it looks more like a kite, though the Cross is clearly outlined by four bright stars, two of which, Acrux and Becrux, are of the first magnitude. From top to bottom, Crux measures just 6 degrees  only a little taller than the distance between the Pointer stars of the Big Dipper. In fact, the Southern Cross is the smallest (in area) of all the constellations. Like the Big Dipper of the northern sky, the Southern Cross indicates the location of the pole and as such is often utilized by navigators. The longer bar of the Cross points almost exactly toward the south pole of the sky which some aviators and navigators have named the "south polar pit" because, unfortunately, it is not marked by any bright star. It is thought that Amerigo Vespucci was the first of the European voyagers to see the "Four Stars," as he called them, while on his third voyage in 1501.

But actually, Crux was plainly visible everywhere in the United States some 5,000 years ago, as well as in ancient Greece and Babylonia. According to Richard Hinckley Allen (1838-1908), an expert in stellar nomenclature, the Southern Cross was last seen on the horizon of Jerusalem about the time that Christ was crucified. But thanks to precession  an oscillating motion of the Earth's axis  over the centuries, the Cross ended up getting shifted out of view well to the south. Immediately to the south and east of the Cross is a pear-shaped, inky spot, about as large as the Cross itself, looking like a great black hole in the midst of the Milky Way. When Sir John Herschel first saw it from the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa in 1835, it is said that he wrote his aunt, Caroline about this "hole in the sky." Indeed, few stars are seen within this hole and it soon became popularly known as the "Coalsack" which initially was thought to be some sort of window into outer space.

Today we know that the celebrated Coalsack is really a great cloud of gas and dust that absorbs the light of the stars that must lie beyond it. Limits of visibility There are likely a number of readers who have never seen either the Big Dipper or the Southern Cross and might wonder about how far they might have to travel in order to get a view of them. Coincidentally, at this time of the year, both are attaining their highest positions in the sky at the same time: right after nightfall in late May and early June. To see Crux, one must go at least as far south as latitude 25 degrees north. That means heading to the Florida Keys in the continental United States, where you'll see it just lifting fully above the southern horizon. So far as seeing the Big Dipper, you must go north of latitude 25 degrees south to see it in its entirety. Across the northern half of Australia, for instance, you can now just see the upside-down Dipper virtually scraping the northern horizon soon after sundown.

In fact, it's just the opposite effect as opposed to those who live in north temperate latitudes (like New York), whose inhabitants see the Dipper at a similar altitude above the northern horizon on early evenings in late November or early December  except the Dipper appears right-side up! Interestingly, the Big Dipper and the Southern Cross have also been depicted on a number of flags. The Dipper is depicted on the Alaskan state flag. The Southern Cross can be found on the national flags of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Brazil. Interestingly, on the flags of Australia, Brazil, Papua New Guinea and Samoa, Crux is represented with five stars, while on the New Zealand flag only the four brightest stars of the Cross are depicted, the faintest fifth star (Epsilon Crucis) being omitted. Online Sky Maps and More The New Zealand flag – Nation and government – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand Next With Britain’s Union Jack in one corner, the flag still proclaims New Zealand’s origins as a British colony. The constellation of the Southern Cross is also shown as it is on the Australian flag, although in Australia’s case there are six all-white stars, while New Zealand's four stars have red centres.

Some New Zealanders believe there should be a new flag which better reflects the country’s independent nationhood, but others are nostalgic about the long connection with Britain. About this item Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Photograph by Melanie Lovell-Smith This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder. Crux | constellation | Britannica.com constellation Alternative Title: The Southern Cross Similar Topics Ursa Major Crux, ( Latin: Cross) , also called the Southern Cross, constellation lying in the southern sky at about 12 hours 30 minutes right ascension and 60° south declination and visible only from south of about latitude 30° N (i.e., the latitude of North Africa and Florida). It appears on the flags of Australia , Brazil , New Zealand , Papua New Guinea , and Samoa . French architect and cartographer Augustine Royer first described it as a constellation in a set of star maps published in 1679, but it has been written about since antiquity.

The constellation has five bright stars , one badly placed from the viewpoint of symmetry, so the shape of the cross formed by the stars is somewhat irregular. Two of Crux’s stars, Alpha Crucis and Beta Crucis , are the 13th and 20th brightest stars in the sky, respectively, with magnitudes of 0.8 and 1.3. The constellation also contains the conspicuous molecular cloud called the Coalsack . Learn More in these related articles: constellation in astronomy, any of certain groupings of stars that were imagined—at least by those who named them—to form conspicuous configurations of objects or creatures in the sky. Constellations are useful in tracking artificial satellites and in assisting astronomers and navigators to locate... right ascension in astronomy, the east–west coordinate by which the position of a celestial body is ordinarily measured; more precisely, it is the angular distance of a body’s hour circle east of the vernal equinox, measured along the celestial equator. It is often expressed in units of time rather... declination in astronomy, the angular distance of a body north or south of the celestial equator. Declination and right ascension, an east-west coordinate, together define the position of an object in the sky.

North declination is considered positive and south, negative. Thus, +90° declination marks the... 7 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted References Victorian flag (in flag of Victoria ) External Links Crux - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) In astronomy, Crux is a south circumpolar constellation visible chiefly in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also called the Southern Cross. To viewers in the mid-southern latitudes or farther south the constellation never sets, tracking low in the sky year-round. It reaches its highest point in the sky on May 1, making it an autumn constellation in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere it is briefly visible in the spring to observers below 30 N latitude. Crux, the smallest of the constellations, can be found by extending a line drawn from Alpha Centauri (the sky’s fourth brightest star) through Beta Centauri. Because of their directional relationship to Crux, Alpha and Beta Centauri are called the Southern Pointers. Crux spans only 6 degrees from north to south and less than half that in width. The constellation is centered at about 60 S celestial latitude. Article Contributors Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article!

Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed.

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Question: What constellation appears on the flags of Australia and New Zealand?
Answer: Southern Cross