What do the stars on the Southern Cross represent?

What do the stars on the Southern Cross represent?

“The Southern Cross became a symbol for the miners on the goldfield of their independence,” says Michael Evans, the Manager of Visitor Experience at the Museum of Australian Democracy. “They put the five stars on their flag that symbolised their rebellion and which they swore an oath of allegiance to.”

Does the Southern Cross have 4 or 5 stars?

The southern cross is a constellation that only appears in the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand’s southern cross has the four brightest stars of the southern cross; the stars are 5-pointed red with a white border.

What does the Southern Cross flag mean today?

The stars of the Southern Cross represent our geographical position in the Southern Hemisphere, the Commonwealth Star symbolises our federation of States and Territories, and the Crosses stand for the principles on which our nation is based – namely, Parliamentary Democracy, Rule of the Law and Freedom of Speech.

Who has Southern Cross on flag?

Australia
The Southern Cross features on the flags of five nations. In order from the top of this montage, they are New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Samoa and Papua New Guinea.

What 4 stars make up the Southern Cross?

The stars of the Southern Cross – Acrux (Alpha Crucis), Mimosa (Beta Crucis), Gacrux (Gamma Crucis), Imai (Delta Crucis), and Ginan (Epsilon Crucis) – form an asterism that really looks more like a kite than a cross.

Is the Southern Cross in the Milky Way?

Crux (/krʌks/) is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped or kite-like asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way’s visible band.

How do you tell south from Southern Cross?

1. Draw an imaginary line from the top of the cross to the bottom and extend it 4.5 times. Drop a vertical line from this point, which is the South Celestial Pole (SCP), to the horizon – that place is due south.

Why is the Southern Cross on the Aussie flag?

Symbolism. The flag has three elements on a blue background: the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross. The Southern Cross is shown on the flag in white. It is a constellation of five stars that can only be seen from the southern hemisphere and is a reminder of Australia’s geography.

Why does Brazil have the Southern Cross?

Emperor Pedro I of Brazil founded the National Order of the Southern Cross (Portuguese: Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul) as a Brazilian order of chivalry on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate the independence of Brazil (7 September 1822) and the coronation of Pedro I (1 December 1822).

Is the Southern Cross on the Brazilian flag?

The flag of Brazil (Portuguese: Bandeira do Brasil), is a blue disc depicting a starry sky (which includes the Southern Cross) spanned by a curved band inscribed with the national motto “Ordem e Progresso” (“Order and Progress”), within a yellow rhombus, on a green field.

How far south do you have to go to see the Southern Cross?

25°N
To see the Southern Cross, one must be in the southern hemisphere, or at least as far south as 25°N, where the asterism is visible just above the southern horizon. In tropical latitudes, the stars can be seen from April to June.

How many countries used the Southern Cross on their flag?

Flags That Feature the Southern Cross Australia. The flag of Australia features the Union Jack and Southern Cross on a blue background. Brazil. The flag of Brazil depicts a starry sky on a circular blue background. New Zealand. The flag of New Zealand resembles the flag of Australia but without the Commonwealth Star and the smaller five-pointed star of the Southern Cross. Papua New Guinea.

What does the Southern Cross mean on the Australian flag?

The Southern Cross appears on the Australian flag. In Australian Aboriginal astronomy, the cross asterism and the Coalsack Nebula represent the head of the Emu in the Sky. Pioneers were colloquially referred to as sons and daughters of the Southern Cross.

What was the southern flag called?

The Confederate battle flag, called the “Southern Cross” or the cross of St. Andrew, has been described variously as a proud emblem of Southern heritage. In the past, several Southern states flew the Confederate battle flag along with the U.S. and state flags over their statehouses.

What does the southern flag mean?

The flag’s look changed over time, as did its meaning. The layout (often referred to as the “Southern Cross”) is a Saint Andrew’s cross, named after the X-shaped cross used to crucify St. Andrew. It also known as a saltire. Some believe the symbol represents freedom and independence from oppression and tyranny.