# Viewing the Southern Cross from Key West

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-the-southern-cross-from-key-west/715909>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 25, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-the-southern-cross-from-key-west/715909 "2015-03-25T00:57:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-the-southern-cross-from-key-west/715909/1 "2015-03-25T00:57:36Z")

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Is it possible?

Is it a year round thing or possible only during some months?

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-the-southern-cross-from-key-west/715909/2 "2015-03-25T01:17:32Z")

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Yes, at the right time of year, and at the right time of night:

> **[How to see the Southern Cross from the Northern Hemisphere](https://earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/the-southern-cross-signpost-of-southern-skies/)**

According to that, it may be seen at the right time any place south of 26 degrees north, which includes southern Texas and Florida - Key West is about 24.5 N. You won’t see the whole thing for very much of the year, and it’s going to be down by the horizon.

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**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-the-southern-cross-from-key-west/715909/3 "2015-03-25T01:29:44Z")

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Does that mean I could go to Key West in, say December, provided that I was willing to get up at some inconvenient time to do so?

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viewing-the-southern-cross-from-key-west/715909/4 "2015-03-25T01:59:18Z")

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Actually, about now is the good time:

> **[Acrux is the brightest star in the Southern Cross](https://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/acrux-shines-in-the-southern-cross/)**