Crux (The (Southern) Cross) |
The best-known of all southern constellations, formerly included in Centaurus (which surrounds it on three sides) before A. Royer introduced it as a separate constellation in about 1679. It is the smallest constellation by area, yet one of the most distinctive and recognizable. It lies in the Milky Way and contains a fine star cluster known as the Jewel Box. See also: Table 4. |