Santa Maria

Santa Maria is a prominent constellation located in the southern sky, easily recognizable by its bright stars that form a pattern resembling a diamond or cross. It is part of the Centaurus constellation and contains several notable objects, including the open star cluster known as the Beehive Cluster (M44). Historically, it was named after the church of Santa Maria, and in astronomy, it is significant for features like the Omega Centauri globular cluster. Santa Maria is best viewed from the southern hemisphere and contributes to our understanding of stellar formation and galaxy structure.