The False Cross is a group of four stars in constellations Carina and Vela. This group is sometimes confused with the famous Southern Cross, which lies about 20 degrees to the east. The False Cross is larger in size than the Southern Cross, but its stars are not as bright. To the west of the False Cross is the brilliant star Canopus and to the east is Alpha Centauri.
This asterism is only visible from the tropics or the Southern Hemisphere. It lies too far south to be seen from most of the Northern Hemisphere.