What is Beta Centauri?
[[File:Centaurus constellation map.svg|thumb|300px|Night sky position]] '''Beta Centauri''' ('''β Centauri''', '''β Cen''', '''Agena''', or '''Hadar'''), is a [[Star system|triple star system]] in the southern [[constellation]] of [[Centaurus]]. The system's combined [[Apparent magnitude|apparent visual magnitude]] of 0.61 makes it the second-brightest star in Centaurus and one of the [[list of brightest stars|brightest star]]s in the night sky.<ref>Hoffleit, Dorrit; Jaschek, Carlos 1991. ''The Bright star catalogue''. New Haven: Yale University Observatory, 5th rev. ed.</ref> According to [[parallax]] measurements from the astrometric [[Hipparcos]] satellite, the distance to this system is about {{Convert|390 ± 20|ly|pc|abbr=off|lk=on|0}}. Beta Centauri is well known in the [[Southern Hemisphere]]. A line made from [[Alpha Centauri]], through Beta Centauri leads to within a few degrees of [[Gamma Crucis|Gacrux]], the star at the top of the [[Southern Cross]]. Using Gacrux, a [[navigation|navigator]] can draw a line with [[Alpha Crucis|Acrux]] at the bottom to find [[South]].<ref>Kyselka, Will & Lanterman, Ray E. 1976. ''North Star to Southern Cross''. Honolulu : University Press of Hawaii. University of Hawaii Press, p. 59.</ref> == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Triple star systems]]