BETA CRUCIS

Also called Mimosa or Becrux, second brightest star (after Alpha Crucis) in the southern constellation Crux (the Southern Cross) and the 20th brightest star in the sky. Is a binary of two B-type stars about 280 light-years from Earth. The primary is a pulsating variable star of the Beta Cephei type. The secondary is much fainter & it orbits the primary every 5yrs. A young pre-main-sequence star that is very faint in visible light but bright in X-rays orbits Beta Crucis w/ a period of ab 1000yrs.