The Southern Cross in a Southern Sky

Explanation: This breathtaking patch of sky would be above you were you to stand at the South Pole of the Earth . On the upper left of this image are the four stars that mark the boundaries of the famous Southern Cross . At the top of this constellation, also known as The Crux , is the orange star Gamma Crucis . The band of stars, dust, and gas crossing the middle of the photograph is part our Milky Way Galaxy . Just below the Southern Cross on the far left is the dark Coal Sack Nebula , and the bright nebula on the far right is the Carina Nebula . The Southern Cross is such a famous constellation that it is depicted on the national flag of Australia .