Red giant · Crux
Gacrux
Also known as: γ Crucis (γ Cru), HIP 61084
mag 1.689 light-years
About
Gacrux (γ Crucis) is a red giant of magnitude 1.6 in Crux, about 89 light-years away.
How to find it
- Gacrux is in the constellation Crux.
- Best evenings: around mid-May it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 23° N.
- Star patterns: Southern Cross and the Pointers.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesEasy, even from town. Its orange-red tint is plain to see.
- Binoculars (10×50)A sharp point; binoculars bring out its colour and the fainter stars around it.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Still a point of light at any magnification — stars are too far away to show a disc. Low in the sky, bright stars twinkle and flash colours.
Stars look the same in any instrument: brighter and sharper, but never bigger.
Facts
| Proper name | Gacrux |
|---|---|
| Designation | γ Crucis (γ Cru) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 61084 |
| Type | Red giant |
| Spectral type | M4III |
| Colour | Orange-redB−V colour index 1.60 |
| Magnitude | 1.6The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 89 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1937. |
| Proper motion | 0.27″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Crux |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 31m 09.9s |
| Declination (J2000) | −57° 06′ 48″ |
More in Crux
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →