SUMMER (SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE)
It has to be said that the stars in the far south of the sky are much more
distinctive than those of the far north. From New Zealand, for example, you
will look in vain for the Great Bear, although Orion, crossed by the celestial
equator, is on view. The most famous constellation is the brilliant Southern
Cross. In summer it is high up in the sky. It is probably the best guide to the
southern pole of the sky which is not itself marked by any bright star.1The Pole Star
The pole actually lies in the constellation of Octans, which is very barren
indeed. The actual pole star, Sigma Octantis, is only of magnitude 5.5 and is
never really an easy naked eye object, it is also hidden by the slightest haze.
Moreover, there is nothing distinctive anywhere near it, so you will have to
search carefully.To find the pole, the best method is to follow a line along the longer axis of
the Cross until you come to a really brilliant star, Achenar in Eridanus. The
pole lies roughly midway between Achenar and the Cross. The trouble here
is that when either of these two locators is low, they may be lost to the haze
close to the horizon, making it hard to find the pole in this way all the
time.The Cross is not circumpolar north of Sydney or Cape Town.2Astronomer Book