Mimosa, in astronomy

Mimosa or Beta Crucis bāˈtə kro͞oˈsĭs [key], bright star in the constellation Crux (Southern Cross); 1992 position R.A. 12h47.3m, Dec. −59°39′. It is sometimes called Becrux, from its Bayer name, analogous to Acrux (Alpha Crucis) and Gacrux (Gamma Crucis). A bluish-white giant of spectral class B0 III, its apparent magnitude of 1.28 makes it one of the 20 brightest stars in the sky. Mimosa's distance is c.500 light-years.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Astronomy: Stars