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Credit & Copyright: Carlos Fairbairn
Explanation:
Have you ever seen the Southern Cross?
This famous constellation is best seen from Earth's Southern Hemisphere.
Captured from
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, the
four bright stars that mark the
Southern Cross
are visible just above the horizon in the
featured image.
On the left of this constellation, also known as
The Crux,
is the orange star
Gamma Crucis.
The band of stars, dust, and gas
rising through the middle of the image mosaic is part our
Milky Way Galaxy.
Just to the right of the Southern Cross is the dark
Coal Sack Nebula, and the bright nebula at the top of the image is the
Carina Nebula.
The Southern Cross is such a famous constellation that it is
depicted on the national flag of Australia.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Milky Way - Southern Cross
Publications with words: Milky Way - Southern Cross
See also: