Alpha Crucis

I love the halo effect on Acrux when photographed.

The bright star Alpha Crucis marks the base of the Southern Cross, and at magnitude 0.8, ranks as one of the brightest stars in the southern skies. Also known as Acrux, this star is an excellent multiple star system for binoculars and a small telescope. And it’s one of the few double stars that can be resolved with a telescope during daylight hours.

Acrux could not be easier to find. At magnitude 0.8, it’s the brightest star in the constellation Crux and the 12th brightest star in the night sky but 321 light years from Earth