Offering care means being a companion, not a superior. Does the method I described return the “exact value” or is there some other method? 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. Discover Kings Cinema, an art deco cinema in the style of the 1930s installed at Powerhouse Museum. “Extend the line four and a half times the length of the cross. On looking at the diagram for the 3 1/2 distance, that does not work out. Hannah, From WA finding the Cross is just the same as from anywhere else in Australia. are we moving in the galaxy or why has it changed. Anthony in Malawi 4 step’s is how I was taught to do it. On summer evenings (January - March) the Cross is rising in the southeast. Regarding the method described above, the angular distance from Acrux, the closest star of the Cross to the south celestial pole, is 26°50′ and the distance between Acrux and Gacrux, the star of the Cross furthest from the pole, is 5°59′. Locate south by dropping a vertical line from the South Celestial Pole to the horizon. 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. Now, when we are out boating with our boating friends, we won’t get lost – you’ve also settled a long-time debate. It’s just a point in the sky isn’t it – it’s not like its a star and I believe they needed it to calculate longitude didn’t they? Pepe, Yes, and it rotates at about 15-degrees per hour about the SCP. 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). Draw an imaginary line through the Southern Cross, as shown above c. Draw an imaginary line perpendicular to this Charity News. 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. Identify the Southern Cross and the Two Pointers (part of Centaurus), careful to avoid the ‘false cross’. As long as you remember that the triangle points away from the bright stars Canopus and Achernar it works. or whether it is 4.5 times along from the base star. A wrong guess could be disastrous as they would miss the island and possibly run out of water and fresh food. They both lie in the same direction. How do you find south? Required fields are marked *. How do I locate it. Southern Cross Industries (Pty) Ltd commenced business as the "Southern Cross Windmill And Engine Co" during 1939 in the then Union of South Africa. As a frame of reference, the pointer stars in Ursa Major (Merak and Dubhe) are only five degrees apart. From “museumvictoria.com.au”……. Lesley asks how do you find north using the Southern Cross? 2/ The method that relies purely on multiples of the length of the major axis doesn’t appear to be able to compensate for the changing orientation of the Cross in the night sky. Your email address will not be published. 1 hauled New South Wales' first train and is on permanent display at Powerhouse Museum. I was struggling with how they could take a sight on an invisible point in the sky! Good point Tigersnake, but to use it you need to be lucky enough to be in an area sufficiently far from bright lights so that the Magellanic clouds are visible. Regards Nick, maybe a diagram of the second method using the “Pointers” bisected could be included on your web page. When using the Pointers to find south, draw a line perpendicular to the line joining the two stars and about halfway between them. Your email address will not be published. Will the longitud axis of the Cross plus its 4.5 times distance to the drop to the horizon rotate around the CSP clockwise? See past project information for Southern Cross Industries, Hamilton, Bloemfontein including projects, photos, costs, reviews and more. The text has been corrected. The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called on all parishes and the faithful to support The Southern Cross. The Southern Cross is located near the larger constellation Centaurus, which surrounds it on three sides. One of my colleagues gave me a bad rap over the knuckles about this post. Search for a group of four bright stars and one faint star that form the shape of a kite. From a light-polluted area you could use the same approach (less accurate) with Canopus and Achernar in place of the Clouds, but you would need a little familiarity with the sky to point the triangle the correct way! Southern Cross takes pride in supplying our customers with excellent products and remarkable customer service. 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. 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. The mean of the two measurements would give the latitude. As you say, the pole is 4 1/2 times the length of the cross away from it, and I find an easy way is to look for the Small Magellan Cloud (if you can see it) and find the point half way between it and the Cross. Take note of the fact that, depending on the time of the year, the shape they form will not always be an upright kite. Mmapadi 2. Thx for the info. Thanks. 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. 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. 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. cheers. It is important to realise that the cross rotates 180 degrees during the night    Zero light pollution…. 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. Hello Peter. Not that the False Cross is of no use. Note big difference if covering a few kilometres, but considerable when needing to cover a few hundred. There is a discrepancy between the diagram (4 1/2) and the writing 3 1/2. Find the midpoint between the Two Pointers. Better way: From top to bottom (Gacrux to Acrux), it is only about six degrees. It compensates for the stars’ rotation. Then extend the main axis of the Cross from and in the direction of its brightest star by four and a half times its length. Wunnerful! I find that this is easier than figuring out 3 1/2 times a distance. Draw an imaginery line down along the longest angle of the cross all the way to the ground. About. If you’re lost in the bush this method will definitely help you find south. The Strasburg Clock model has been one of the most popular exhibits at Powerhouse Museum for over 100 years. It is published independently but with the support of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference. They grab your attention. The S celestial pole is at the end of the tail. Lived in the outback from 1982 to mid 1986. As you can see the value 4.5 is a good approximation of the more exact value. 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. Southern Cross Accommodation. On summer evenings (January - March) the Cross is rising in the southeast. I have known both these ways and always thought they agreed. It's product still reflects the philosophy of solid engineering expertise and consistency. The Southern Cross, in form of 4 large and 1 small star, is situated in the fly half of the Australian flag. In spite of its size, Crux is one of the best known constellations in the southern hemisphere. 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. Find southern cross for sale on bidorbuy. Hello Robyn. Given that the Cross markedly changes its orientation with time, how does the simpler method compensate for this? Sam, Keep watching it for a few hours and you will see it ‘rotate’ as the Earth spins on its axis. b. If you are a digital subscriber, then please use the following form to login. But if you live south of the equator, it’s not the Big Dipper that people choose as their guide to the night sky. Hopefully, you will find that the diagram will work out with correct number. This will bring you to the point in the sky called the South Celestial Pole. Southern Cross is a diversified manufacturing company based in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Midway along this line, extend another line at a right angle to it, until it meets another line drawn down the long axis of the Southern Cross. Not the easiest way! ), Repair works and more. i.e. Bill, From much of Australia and ll of New Zealand the Cross never sets, it is circumpolar. Note that 4.5 times the length of the main axis from the Southern Cross to the pole is correct. But “south” is parallel to the ground and “south celestial pole” is up in the sky. 10. Still, once you have found the Southern Cross – in August it is leaning on its side in the south-west – in your imagination extend the line between the two furthest apart stars to the left for a distance four and a half times their separation. Our products ranges from Agricultural- & Irrigation Equipment, Garden Care, Castings (Iron, Brass, Al. Why are the pointers useful? Thanks Anthony. The south you mean is the same thing as south celestial pole? My back door in Malawi faces south, and I watch the strange rotations of the Southern Cross every night. The South African Red Cross Society. That’s the way they taught us in Army survival training! Thanks for your response but I’m still a little in the dark: you mentioned the “exact value” but I’m none the wiser on the method to determine the “exact value” (position?) Correct measurement is 4.5 lengths starting from the base)… Scratch that, it appears this pic is not to scale and the correct count does not include the cross itself (ie. I think this is why “The Pointers” are called “The Pointers”. People looking for missing migrants in Southern Africa Hundreds of thousands of migrants lose contact with their family members every year, because of migration, conflict or natural disasters. 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. Aren’t these two contradictory? 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. It is the smallest of all 88 constellations. Is there something opposite the cross in the S hemisphere? How do you find S when the cross is below the horizon. Good Hope. Crux can be found on the national flags … I’m from wa so I’m so confused. Obviously they will then also know where north is. 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. Northwards of a latitude of about 33-degrees south the Cross does begin to set but not for long. 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. Matthew Weeks has been a public policy and technology writer since 2003. 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. And yes, the method does compensate for the changing orientation of the Cross during a night or during the year. Otherwise, thank you. 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. 1/28. Southern Cross Industries (Pty) Ltd first set foot on African soil as the Southern Cross Windmill and Engine Co. Back then, its regulatory head office and factory, Southern Cross Organisation, was based in Toowoomba, Queensland Australia. The pointer stars are much brighter and much easier to see. Shop online at fixed prices or bid on auctions. Where these two “imaginery” lines intersect is South. Thank you. Being privileged to be caretakers and wardens at the EyreBird Observatory in the old telegraph station at Eyre back in 2006, observations when the Southern Cross turns over about the south celestial pole still prove to be correct in finding South. However, there is a useful celestial marker known as Crux, or the Southern Cross. Crux, or the Southern Cross, is a prominent constellation in the southern sky. Hello again Michael. 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. Crux constellation is also bordered by Musca, the Fly.To find the Southern Cross, first look for the two very bright stars nearby, Alpha and Beta Centauri. I still cannot figure out how to find south using the southern cross. Interestingly, the Southern Cross has been depicted on the flags of several different antipodean countries. You can use the first two (δ Vel and κ Vel) to get within one degree of true south. (Actually, they point just a tad north of Crux, but it is close enough.). around the south celestial pole. He has been published on Men's News Daily and Free Republic. First published on 16 October 1920, it has appeared uninterrupted every week since. The Southern Cross is not circumpolar in South Africa except the southern tip. 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. Even from the far north of the continent it is only missing for a few hours of the day. Starting in Pretoria, travel across the imposing Drakensberg … A grand adventure offering amazing insight into well-known destinations across South Africa. — how do you estimate 4.5x the length of the Southern Cross? 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. COVID-19 Information (Last updated: January 12, 2021) Country-Specific Information: The South African Ministry of Health has confirmed more than 1,200,000 cases of COVID-19 within its borders. From Australia or New Zealand – or South America or South Africa – Crux is circumpolar. If you don't see the pointer stars, you are looking at the False Cross. One technique they used to find, say, a small island, was to sail to the correct latitude and then guess whether the island was to their east or west and sail along the latitude until they hit the island. The Southern Cross is not circumpolar in South Africa except the southern tip. Hello Jim. Hello Dave. The tail of a kite? Thank you A and nam95 for pointing out the discrepancy. Draw a line from this midpoint at … This panoramic 15-day sojourn winds its way across Southern Africa from the Indian Ocean in the east to the Atlantic … Read More. How many degrees in a night? Having said that, this method for me when practiced just now using the stars, seems to give me a South line that is further east of the Scout method (which utilises the Pointers). This leaves me with the following two questions: 1/ The “four” & the “four & a half” methods can’t both be correct – which is it? From that point you drop a line directly to the Horizon and that is due South. 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! That is exactly what my Dad told me when I was a kid. 4. If you are looking for Southern Cross holiday accommodation , SafariNow has a selection of Self-catering, holiday accommodation in Southern Cross and surrounds. It doesn’t matter whether the person we are caring for … Regarding the other method that you mention involving the perpendicular bisector of the two pointer stars, please see the later blog post http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/2013/finding-south-using-the-southern-cross/. 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. Hi! 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. Your health is our top priority and we are ready to address all concerns travellers may have surrounding COVID-19. 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? Southern Cross View Gallery. Thank you Nick, them using a nearby star or a catalogue explains it. In the N we can use Cassiopia which is opposite the dipper. In order to read The Southern Cross online you will need to login using your subscription username and password. Yes, your method of finding south is a good one and it is included in a second blog post on this topic at http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/2013/finding-south-using-the-southern-cross/. I’ll give that a go next time I run a Night Tour and see how it goes. Hi Guys, Thanks for the info, it really helped when I was teaching ”Space” for Year 8 students, last term. Finding south using the Southern Cross – an essential skill. If you have any questions regarding one of our products or need more information concerning a specific service or product, please do not hesitate to contact us … e. Drop perpendicular as above I hope that helps. The flag of Samoa has the Southern Cross placed on the upper outer quadrant of the flag. Since learning that method I’ve been very happy to accept that as a reliable technique & have often praised whatever ancient mariner it was who first worked out that combination of stars from all of the others up there. a. You have now reached the South Celestial Pole – the point about which the Cross and all stars turn in the sky. Draw an imaginary line through the two Pointers I’ll try to attempt locating the Southern Cross from Moorea. C This article has been rated as C-Class on the project's quality scale. I hope that this clarifies things for you. Trust the southern cross.It will take you home.. Another way is to extend the main (long) axis of the cross as one line and a second line is created as a perpendicular bisector of the line joining the two pointers. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that the MAAS website contains a range of material which may be culturally sensitive including records of people who may have passed away. 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