Acrux

Acrux (ā'kruks) [key][from the Bayer designation α Crucis], brightest star in the constellation Crux (Southern Cross); 1992 position R.A. 12^h26.2^m, Dec. -63°04'. Its apparent magnitude of 0.86 makes it one of the 20 brightest stars in the sky, although its location in the far southern sky prevents it from being seen by most observers in the United States. Acrux is a visual binary star, with components of spectral classes B1 and B3, each component itself being a spectroscopic binary. Its distance is about 370 light-years.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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