False Cross

The False Cross is an asterism, a star pattern that is not one of the 88 official constellations, made of four stars in Carina and Vela. Its brightest star is Avior (magnitude 1.86), and it is best seen in the evening in March.

Free to use with credit: Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), CC BY 4.0 · More

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<a href="https://constellationmap.org/asterisms/false-cross/"><img src="https://constellationmap.org/img/asterisms/false-cross-star-map.png" alt="False Cross star map: the four stars Avior, Alsephina, Aspidiske and Markeb connected by lines and labeled, with the surrounding constellations" width="800" height="800" loading="lazy"></a>
<br><small><a href="https://constellationmap.org/asterisms/false-cross/">False Cross</a> · Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a></small>

How to use it

It is larger and fainter than the real Southern Cross (Crux) and is often mistaken for it.

How to find the False Cross

It does not rise from 40° N. From 35° S (Australia, South Africa, Argentina) it reaches about 68° in the south.

Stars of the False Cross

Star	Designation	Magnitude	Distance	Constellation
Avior	ε Carinae	1.86	—	Carina
Alsephina	δ Velorum	1.96	—	Vela
Aspidiske	ι Carinae	2.25	—	Carina
Markeb	κ Velorum	2.5	571 ly	Vela

Questions about the False Cross

Is the False Cross a constellation?

No. The False Cross is an asterism: its stars belong to Carina and Vela, two of the 88 constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union.

What is the brightest star of the False Cross?

Avior, with an apparent magnitude of 1.86.

When can I see the False Cross?

It is highest in the evening sky in March.