Southern Cross
Australia's flag stars
The Southern Cross is a constellation visible in the Southern Hemisphere, consisting of four bright stars arranged in a cross pattern.
It serves as a navigational aid, pointing toward the south celestial pole, and appears on the flags of Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and other southern nations.
Also called Crux.
Southern hemisphere constellation
- Alpha CentauriClosest star system
- night skyDarkness above after sunset
- celestial poleAxis endpoint above Earth
- star mapChart showing constellation positions
magnitude · binary star · variable star · deep sky object · circumpolar · asterism · Centaurus
Location-finding via astronomical observation
- sextantMaritime angular measurement device
- latitudeGeographic or personal freedom
- bearingPosture or orientation
- wayfindingNavigating through physical spaces
mariner · voyaging · course · pilotage · dead reckoning · oceanic · seafaring · orientation
European maritime expansion era
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
- New WorldWestern Hemisphere landmasses
- cartographyCreating geographic representations
- explorersThose who venture unfamiliar lands
Magellan · Vasco da Gama · uncharted waters · circumnavigation · discovery · pioneers · nautical charts
National ensign down under
- national emblemOfficial symbol of a country
- ensignFlag or junior officer
- cantonSmall territorial division
- coat of armsHereditary symbolic emblem
Inherited cultural legacy
- national prideEsteem for one's country
- unityWholeness through cohesion
- cultural iconWidely recognized symbolic figure
- liberationRelease from constraint
resistance · patriotism · ancestral · sacred
Crux
Southern hemisphere constellation
- Alpha CentauriClosest star system
- night skyDarkness above after sunset
- celestial poleAxis endpoint above Earth
star map · magnitude · binary star · variable star · deep sky object · circumpolar · asterism · Centaurus
celestial navigation
Location-finding via astronomical observation
- sextantMaritime angular measurement device
- latitudeGeographic or personal freedom
- bearingPosture or orientation
wayfinding · mariner · voyaging · course · pilotage · dead reckoning · oceanic · seafaring · orientation · guiding star
Age of Discovery
European maritime expansion era
- expeditionOrganized exploratory journey
- New WorldWestern Hemisphere landmasses
- cartographyCreating geographic representations
Magellan · Vasco da Gama · explorers · uncharted waters · circumnavigation · discovery · pioneers · nautical charts
Australian flag
National ensign down under
- national emblemOfficial symbol of a country
- ensignFlag or junior officer
- cantonSmall territorial division
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
- national prideEsteem for one's country
- unityWholeness through cohesion
- cultural iconWidely recognized symbolic figure
liberation · resistance · patriotism · ancestral · sacred
- AsterismsBig Dipper, Little Dipper, Orion's Belt, Keystone, Sickle
- Southern SkyCrux, Centaurus, Mensa, Norma, Indus
- astronomystars, moon, sun, planet, planets
- night skystars, moon, constellations, shooting stars, constellation
- Australasiakangaroo, koala, Sydney, Melbourne, outback
- celestialsun, moon, stars, planet, planets
Southern CrossBig Dipper
Seven-star northern asterism
Ursa Major · Polaris · North Star · Little Dipper · Ursa Minor
cross, south, southwest, Southern, southward, southerly, southeastern, southwestern, southwards