The Southern Cross

by Dim Sim

The Southern Cross is also known as Crux, and is the smallest of the constellations. It is composed of a cross of four bright stars, including three major stars named Acrus, Mimosa and Gacrux. The position of the Southern Cross is indicated by the presence of two, bright stars known to us Aussies as 'the pointers'. The Southern Cross can be seen at any time of year from almost anywhere in Australia, while it is not visible in the northern hemisphere. However in biblical times it was visible from Jerusalem and was much revered in the Middle East. In the 16th century European navigators used the constellation for navigation, and also to tell the time! Unlike many other constellations, there are no Greek or Roman legends associated with it. However there are Aboriginal legends about the origins of the star, which differ between tribes. One such legend goes like this: The creation spirit made two men out of the earth, but only had enough left to make one woman. During a period of severe drought, one of the men and the woman killed a kangaroo and roasted it to eat. The other man was horrified because the creation spirit had not given permission for them to eat his children. He ran away and fell down weak at the base of a gum tree, when an evil spirit jumped from the branches. The spirit threw the man into the hollow of the tree and went in after him. This commotion awoke two cockatoos, who flew around the tree very agitated. The tree began to rise up out of the ground, and was suspended in the infinite blackness of space. At night, you can see four bright points, which are the eyes of the man and the demon, and the cockatoos are the two pointers. Another tribe believed the cross was a sting ray and the pointers were two sharks in pursuit!