Crux

Constellation of the southern hemisphere, popularly known as the Southern Cross, the smallest of the 88 constellations but one of the brightest, and one of the best known as it is represented on the flags of Australia and New Zealand. Its brightest stars are Alpha Crucis (or Acrux), a double star about 360 light years from the Sun, and Beta Crucis (or Mimosa).

Near Beta Crucis lies a glittering star cluster known as the Jewel Box, named by John Herschel. The constellation also contains the Coalsack, a dark nebula silhouetted against the bright starry background of the Milky Way.

Situated in one of the brightest sections of the Milky Way, Crux originally formed part of Centaurus and was not named as a distinct asterism until the 15th century, and not regarded as a separate constellation until the 17th.