Beta Crucis, or Mimosa, is the hot blue-white star at the eastern arm of the Southern Cross, a massive young star that pulsates and has a close companion.
At a glance
| type | blue-white star (class B) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 277 light-years (85 pc) |
| its light left it | 277 years ago |
| luminosity | 34,000 × the Sun |
| radius | 8.4 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 27,000 K |
| constellation | Crux (Southern Cross) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Beta Crucis
Beta Crucis is a massive, very hot star, far more luminous than the Sun and much younger. It is one of the four bright stars that form the Southern Cross, and its name Mimosa is now its official one.
It is a Beta Cephei variable: its surface pulsates in a regular rhythm lasting hours, making its brightness change by a small amount. Its spectrum also shows the motion of a close companion star, which orbits it too closely to be seen separately.
What you see in the piece
With HUMAN EYE on from the south it is a bright blue-white point in Crux, near the dark patch of the Coalsack. Fly out and the cross falls apart, its stars at different distances.
Questions
How far away is Beta Crucis?
Beta Crucis is 277 light-years (85 pc) from the Sun, so its light left it 277 years ago.