✧ False Cross The False Cross is an asterism in Carina. •⡀ • ⢳⡀ ⠸⡄ ⢳⡀ ⣇ ⢳⡀ ⢸ ⢳⡀ ⠈⡇ ⢳⡀ ⢳ ⢳⡀ ⠸⡄ ⢳⡀ ⣇ ⢳⡀ ⢸ ⢳⡀ ⠈⡇ ⢳⡀ • ⢳⡀ • Type Asterism Constellation Carina Stars 4 More information about False Cross The False Cross is larger than the real cross, fainter, and has nothing pointing at it. Sailors have steered by it in error often enough for the mistake to be built into its name. There are two ways to tell them apart. The Southern Cross has a fifth star sitting inside the shape and lies squarely across the bright band of the Milky Way, while the False Cross stands off to one side of the band with nothing inside it. Two of its four stars belong to Carina and two to Vela. Etymology From English Reading the False Cross Literally the false cross The evolution of False Cross over time -50,000 years • ⠈⡆ ⢹ ⢇ ⠘⡄ ⠈• ⢳ ⢳ ⠈⡆ ⠸⡀ ⢸⡀ ⣇ ⢇ ⢸ ⠘⡄ ⡇ ⢳ ⢱ ⠘⡆ ⠘⡄ ⢱ ⢧ ⣇ ⠸⡀ ⠸⡀ ⡇ ⢣ ⢸ ⠈⡆ ⠈• Aspidiske ⢹ ⢇ • Avior now •⡄ • ⠘⣆ ⢳ ⠘⢆ ⠘⡆ ⠈⢆ ⢱ ⠈⢆ ⠈⡆ ⠈⢆ ⢱ ⢣ ⠈⡆ ⢣ ⢱ ⢣ ⠈⡆ ⢣⡀ ⢱ ⢳⡀ ⠈⡆ ⢳⡀ ⢱ ⢳⡀ ⠈⡆ ⠱⡀ • Aspidiske ⠹⡄ • Avior +50,000 years ⡀ • ⠈⡆ ⢹⡀ ⠈•⡀ ⢇ ⠈⢢⡀ ⠘⡄ ⠘⢆⡀ ⢳ ⠑⢄ ⠘⡆ ⠓⢄ ⢱ ⠈⠱⡄ ⣇ ⠈⠣⡀ ⠸⡀ ⠈⠦⡀ ⢣ ⠙⢤ ⠘⡆ ⠑⢄ • Aspidiske ⠈⠱⡄ ⠈• Avior Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 15%, and the furthest any of its stars travels is 1.1 degrees. HR 3485 drifts the opposite way to the other 3, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving. curl 'skymap.sh/False%20Cross/evolution.gif' where it is tonight: skymap.sh/False Cross