How Long Is “Kappa Crucis”?

The “Kappa Crucis” star cluster, nicknamed the “Jewel Box” (in reference to the multi-coloured flashes of the stars comparable to a collection of precious stones), is visible to the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere and, for example, from the anonymous hangar where Bernardo Riedel, a legend of Brazilian astronomy, works in the Belo Horizonte suburb. This discreet man begins his day by listening to the messages left on his answering machine (“Bernardo, have you seen the latest images of Pluto?”), to birdsongs, or to Beethoven. He makes telescopes, polishes lenses, gets annoyed with administrative hassles or sits on the terrace in order to “float in space” with the help of his binoculars.