It is the smallest of the 88 constellations and is, of course, located in the southern sky. Due to its small area and bright stars, it is the brightest constellation in the sky.
The top 5 stars are: Acrux, Mimosa, Gamma, Imai and Ginan. The four stars that make up the Southern Cross were already known to Ptolemy, as part of the constellation Centaurus. However, due to the precession of the Earth’s axis, most of the constellation ceased to appear above the horizon for Europeans and they rediscovered it during the Age of Great Geographic Discoveries. When they circumnavigated Africa, they discovered its usefulness for navigation – the longer arm of the cross points approximately to the south pole. By its uniqueness and traditions, the Southern Cross is a patriotic symbol for the nations of the Southern Hemisphere: Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Samoa and Brazil.
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