Crux (the cross), commonly known as the
Southern Cross, is the smallest of the 88 modern
constellations, but also one of the most famous.
Its five brightest stars (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon Crucis) appear on the flags of
Australia,
New Zealand,
Papua New Guinea and
Samoa,
except that the New Zealand flag omits Epsilon.
Crux was formerly part of Centaurus, and was first introduced as a separate constellation by A. Royer in 1679.
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