# Is the Southern Cross visible from my current location? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077 "2020-01-27T21:01:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/1 "2020-01-27T21:01:58Z")
(10.24, -85.84) Yes the west coast of Costa Rica. I have been unable to find info online for this date and location, just hints that it should be visible. But at what times and what area of the sky? If someone could give me some info, I would be ever so grateful! And I do love it down here. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/2 "2020-01-27T21:36:18Z")
It should rise just east of south at about 10pm tonight. At it’s highest point, it will be due south at 1:45am tomorrow. I can’t figure out how to get the numerics out of this iphone app, but I’d guess it will not be more than 10 or 15 degrees above the horizon. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/3 "2020-01-27T21:37:49Z")
It’s definitely visible from Aruba as you can see it from Hawaii which is further north. I think now it’s best visible early in the morning, however, not in the evening. It is relatively near Alpha Centauri. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/4 "2020-01-27T21:42:54Z")
Googling says it should be visible (low in the sky) from your latitude. I, too, have had little luck finding times. > [@](#): > > … what area of the sky? That’s easy: look directly south. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/5 "2020-01-27T21:50:50Z")
If you have a smartphone, I recommend getting a star mapping app, like Star Chart. You just point your phone at the sky and it tells you what you’re seeing. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/6 "2020-01-27T22:05:27Z")
I use this web site: [https://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/](https://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/) Will be easily visible in the south, reaches zenith at 2020-01-28 10:00:00 UCT ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/7 "2020-01-27T22:41:03Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/8 "2020-01-30T14:34:26Z")
Update: we saw it at 4:30 am today. Glorious and unmistakable! Thanks for telling me where and when to look.! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/9 "2020-01-30T15:38:37Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Update: we saw it at 4:30 am today. Glorious and unmistakable! Thanks for telling me where and when to look.! Yeah, it’s pretty cool. We saw it for the first time while sitting around a campfire in Botswana. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2020, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/10 "2020-01-30T16:38:23Z")
Lucky! I’d love to see it. I guess I’m inspired by[one of my favorite songs.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw9gLjEGJrw) ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2020, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-southern-cross-visible-from-my-current-location/847077/11 "2020-02-04T02:36:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Yeah, it’s pretty cool. We saw it for the first time while sitting around a campfire in Botswana. Did you also get to see Alpha Centauri? I always thought it odd that its common names Toliman and Rigil Kent are so little known compated to its Latin name. And I’ve concluded that it’s because historically most people never got to see it. I’ve always wanted to see the far Southern sky, but what did I do? I moved 12° farther north! Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk