| Gacrux , Gamma Crucis (Latinised from γ Crucis, abbreviated Gamma Cru, γ Cru), is the nearest class M giant star to the Sun. With an apparent visual magnitude of +1.63, it is the third-brightest star (hence its name) in the southern constellation of Crux (the Southern Cross) and is listed 26th of the brightest stars in the night sky. A line from the two "Pointers", Alpha Centauri through Beta Centauri, leads to within 1° north of this star. Distance has been determined using parallax measurements made during the Hipparcos mission, yielding 88.6 light-years (27.2 parsecs) from the Sun. |
