Northern Cross

noun

, Astronomy.

1. six stars in the constellation Cygnus, arranged in the form of a cross.

Northern Cross

noun

1. a group of the five brightest stars that form a large cross in the constellation Cygnus

Word History and Origins

Origin of Northern Cross¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Initially its gaze was fixed on a patch of sky about 20 full moons wide near the Northern Cross, in the constellations Cygnus and Lyra, a region that contains about 4.5 million stars.

From New York Times

The constellation Cygnus, from which these meteors appear to radiate, is also popularly known as the Northern Cross.

From Scientific American

The pattern is also known as the Northern Cross, with its distinctive cross-shaped display of six bright stars.

From National Geographic

Observers across the Northern Hemisphere looking overhead on late nights can easily see the bright constellation Cygnus, the swan, otherwise known as the Northern Cross.

From National Geographic

The Chelsea Gems from Eld Inlet, Washington, were likened to “anise and buttered truffle”; the Northern Cross from Fisherman’s Island, Virginia, “salted parsnip and green onion.”

From Time