John Keiter, Age Lt, Of Tulsa, Okla., For his question:

What is the southern cross?

North of the equator, polaris hangs like a beacon over the north pole. This neat arranganent has helped travelers for hundreds of years. But the south pole has no Pole star. South of the equator, the southern cross points in the general direction of the celestial south pole   where there are no starry guideposts in the sky.

The southern cross is a constellation, a pattern of stars. It has four bright Stars placed one at each end of a cross shape. The longer shaft of the cross points Almost to the exact south pole. Travelers all over the southern hemisphere can use The southern cross. As a guidepost, and it may be seen north of the equator from Florida and Texas. for his question: