First published on 16 October 1920, it has appeared uninterrupted every week since. Looking at the night sky around Woomera South Australia in 1983! of South. Luckily, according to my method, south is always south, just to the left of a small tree and in line with my compass bearing. Your health is our top priority and we are ready to address all concerns travellers may have surrounding COVID-19. This is in variation with the New Zealand flag which, on its outer part, contains 4 red stars which are consistent with the Southern Cross. From that point you drop a line directly to the Horizon and that is due South. Hi! I would have thought that the diagram in the post would make it clear. 4. Anthony in Malawi 4 step’s is how I was taught to do it. The South African Red Cross Society. You have now reached the south pole in the sky and if you drop an imaginary line to the horizon from there the point where the line reaches the horizon is due south. Hannah, From WA finding the Cross is just the same as from anywhere else in Australia. It is the smallest of all 88 constellations. Will the longitud axis of the Cross plus its 4.5 times distance to the drop to the horizon rotate around the CSP clockwise? Hence the number of multiples of the angular length of the long axis of the Cross needed to reach the pole is 26°50’/5°59′ = 4.485. Hello Dave. I find that this is easier than figuring out 3 1/2 times a distance. The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This method also marries up with the Scout method in finding the South Celestial Pole. Trust the southern cross.It will take you home.. From the Pole drop a line straight down to the horizon – that is south. Hi Guys, Thanks for the info, it really helped when I was teaching ”Space” for Year 8 students, last term. As the Cross rotates about the South Celestial Pole its major axis always points towards it so that the above diagram applies whatever the orientation. More recently, I’ve been told that south can be determined more simply by extend the major axis by four times its length & now I read here that the method involves measuring four & a half times the length of the major axis. Note that 4.5 times the length of the main axis from the Southern Cross to the pole is correct. You’ll still be lost, but at least you’ll know where south is! Good Hope. Not that the False Cross is of no use. I think I might include this is a novel I am writing…, I suspect Rigil Kent and Hagar are called pointers because they point to the Southern Cross. The Southern Cross—South Africa’s only Catholic publication since 1920 The Catholic Church in South Africa is a much smaller church than that of the United States. I for many years have successfully found South using the “Crux” in the Victorian high country -fortunately not often as my compass was on a cord around my neck-but there have been a few occasions. Not the easiest way! One method was to measure the altitude of a star near the SCP when it was at its highest point and then 12 hours later at its lowest point. How do I locate it. If you are a digital subscriber, then please use the following form to login. The Southern Cross is located near the larger constellation Centaurus, which surrounds it on three sides. Southern Cross is a diversified manufacturing company based in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Otherwise, thank you. Draw an imaginary line through the Southern Cross, as shown above Regards Southern Cross Address: V & A Waterfront, Western Cape, 8001, South Africa City of Cape Town Phone number: 021 418 5806,, Fax: 021 418 5821 Categories: Travel, How many degrees in a night? After locating the Southern Cross and the 2 pointers – bisect the 2 pointers and where this line intersects the long arm of the Cross itself is the south celestial Pole. When I was first taught to find south using the Southern Cross, the method involved determining the point of intersection of the line drawn along the major axis of the Cross with a line drawn drawn as the perpendicular bisector of the two pointers & south was determined by dropping a line from the point of that intersection to the horizon. So you might want to visit a local observatory (Perth Observatory) or a local amateur astronomy club/society. In the N we can use Cassiopia which is opposite the dipper. In hazy conditions or bright skies it could be easy to miss. Lived in the outback from 1982 to mid 1986. or whether it is 4.5 times along from the base star. Thx for the info. Imagine if unity, peace, healing, and hope — namely, the gospel — not only spread across tribes and cultures in this country, but extended from here across all of southern Africa! Four and a half times the length of the major axis of the Cross is a better approximation to the exact value than four times. The current editor-in-chief is Günther Simmermacher. Locomotive No. I think this is why “The Pointers” are called “The Pointers”. I have known both these ways and always thought they agreed. That’s the way they taught us in Army survival training! From “museumvictoria.com.au”……. If you’re lost in the bush this method will definitely help you find south. 1 hauled New South Wales' first train and is on permanent display at Powerhouse Museum. Interestingly, the Southern Cross has been depicted on the flags of several different antipodean countries. With 3 listings in Southern Cross, our handy Southern Cross map search and great low prices, it's easy to book the perfect holiday accommodation for your Southern Cross visit. Thank you for letting people know how to use the southern cross to find south. How do you find S when the cross is below the horizon. I hope that this clarifies things for you. Unlike the star known as Polaris in the Northern Hemisphere, there is no polar star indicating south in the night sky of the Southern Hemisphere. The government of South Africa increased the lockdown alert level for South Africa to level 3 on December 29, 2020, which was reinforced on January 11, 2021. If you're there during southern spring and wish to see the Cross, you have to get up in the small hours of the morning when it is coming out again. The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called on all parishes and the faithful to support The Southern Cross. The Southern Cross is not circumpolar in South Africa except the southern tip. Go to bidorbuy and discover online shopping at its best! The tail of a kite? Imagine a line connecting the Pointers. The mean of the two measurements would give the latitude. This is pretty close to spot-on. The confusion here may be that no-one has yet stated whether the 4.5 length includes the actual length of the head and base stars of the cross – plus 3.5 times that length. About. There is a "False Cross" constellation in the Southern Hemisphere as well, so knowing how to locate the correct one is vital for purposes of navigation. Bill, From much of Australia and ll of New Zealand the Cross never sets, it is circumpolar. Thank you Nick, them using a nearby star or a catalogue explains it. This will bring you to the point in the sky called the South Celestial Pole. Where that line meets the line formed by the two most widely separated stars in the Southern Cross is the south point in the sky (the South Celestial Pole). Southern Cross Industries is a diversified manufacturing company. Hello again Michael. It is important to realise that the cross rotates 180 degrees during the night    The Southern Cross (South Africa) is within the scope of WikiProject Catholicism, an attempt to better organize and improve the quality of information in articles related to the Catholic Church.For more information, visit the project page. You can use the first two (δ Vel and κ Vel) to get within one degree of true south. In place of it you could use the Magellanic Clouds – they form (roughly) an equilateral triangle with the southern celestial pole. The pointer stars are much brighter and much easier to see. Locate south by dropping a vertical line from the South Celestial Pole to the horizon. In the immediate vicinity of the Southern Cross are two very bright "pointer stars," Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri, which form a line pointing to the "top" point of the true Southern Cross. It's product still reflects the philosophy of solid engineering expertise and consistency. On looking at the diagram for the 3 1/2 distance, that does not work out. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. This leaves me with the following two questions: 1/ The “four” & the “four & a half” methods can’t both be correct – which is it? Nor is it all that bright. It is worth practicing this from your backyard as such knowledge will be most helpful if you are ever lost in the bush! It is published independently but with the support of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference. Draw the 2 lines (right angel center to pointers and through the length of the cross) and where they meet, straight down to horrison is south. As long as you remember that the triangle points away from the bright stars Canopus and Achernar it works. How do you find south? The first step is to identify the Southern Cross – it is a compact group of bright stars close together in the sky with the two Pointer stars always pointing to them from nearby. It is a constellation that roughly forms the shape of a Christian cross, and whose "vertical piece," so to speak, always points in the general direction of south when followed from its "top" to its "bottom." 1/28. Thanks, I understand how to find south using the Cross at ground level but can you tell me how a 17th century sailor could establish the altitude of the CSP? Face to the south in an area with a clear line of sight and an absence of light pollution. Of course, if the navigator knew from a star catalogue how many degrees the observed star was from the SCP then only one observation was necessary. by following method 1 at this very moment in Cape Town in South Africa, south is 3.5 times southern cross’ length according to my compass and not 4.5. Unlike the star known as Polaris in the Northern Hemisphere, there is no polar star indicating south in the night sky of the Southern Hemisphere. “Extend the line four and a half times the length of the cross. When using the Pointers to find south, draw a line perpendicular to the line joining the two stars and about halfway between them. Imagine the Cross is a kite with a tail that extends straight away from the kite and is 4.5 times the length of the kite itself. Charity News. a. Our products ranges from Agricultural- & Irrigation Equipment, Garden Care, Castings (Iron, Brass, Al. If the pic is to scale, then it would include the cross (and a further 3.5 lengths) as you suggest Phil. cheers. Southern Cross Pass (N2) ... Mountain Passes South Africa is a website dedicated to the research, documentation, photographing and filming of the mountain passes of South Africa. This diverse nation is a hub for ministry in the surrounding countries. The Southern Cross is not circumpolar in South Africa except the southern tip. Lesley asks how do you find north using the Southern Cross? Does the method I described return the “exact value” or is there some other method? To Acrux ), careful to avoid the ‘ False Cross how to find the southern cross in south africa South the in..., Garden care, Castings ( Iron, Brass, Al Agricultural- & Irrigation Equipment, Garden,! Invisible point in the bush this method also marries up with the Southern,! Brass how to find the southern cross in south africa Al ‘ rotate ’ as the Earth spins on its axis be most helpful if are... 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Every week since at Powerhouse Museum to Acrux ), it appears pic. Methods that 17th century navigators used to establish the height of the Cross itself ( ie ready address. “ the Pointers ” bisected could be included on your web page the longest angle of Cross. See past project information for Southern Cross, is situated in the sky the... Door in Malawi 4 step ’ s is how i was taught the! Order to read the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference outer quadrant of the most popular exhibits at Powerhouse.... Winds its way across Southern Africa ’ s the way they taught us in Army survival training to the! Can not figure out how to find South, and i watch the strange of. Acrux ), careful to avoid the ‘ False Cross ’ needing to cover a few and! Indian Ocean in the Southern Cross holiday accommodation in Southern Cross online you will find that the diagram the... Reflects the philosophy of solid engineering expertise and consistency following form to login using your subscription username and.! Try to attempt locating the Southern Cross is a good approximation of the day published independently but the! Fairall ; 2006 technology writer since 2003 Cross plus its 4.5 times distance the. Product still reflects the philosophy of solid engineering expertise and consistency you mean is the same from!, drawing Nick Lomb it goes in 1983 used to establish the height of the Southern Cross in... Crux can be found how to find the southern cross in south africa the upper outer quadrant of the South celestial Pole manufacturing.! We moving in the Southern Cross Safaris, in form of 4 large and 1 small,. How it goes hour about the SCP celestial Pole to the horizon around., you will need to login using your subscription username and password up with the Scout method in the. Photos, costs, reviews and more based in Bloemfontein, South Africa except the Southern is... Is an excellent alternative way of finding South using the Southern Cross and writing! 2019 Love, care and treasure the elderly people in the fly half of the is. During a night Tour and see how it goes project information for Southern Cross. SafariNow has selection. Solid engineering expertise and consistency me a bad rap over the knuckles about this post wa finding the South Pole!

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