Microscopium
Sign in to saveMicroscopium ("the Microscope") is a minor constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere, one of twelve created in the 18th century by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille and one of several depicting scientific instruments. The name is a Latinised form of the Greek word for microscope. Its stars are faint and hardly visible from most of the non-tropical Northern Hemisphere.
AI overview
Microscopium, or "the Microscope," is a faint constellation in the southern sky that was created in the 18th century by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille as one of twelve new constellations depicting scientific instruments. Its stars are too dim to be easily seen from most of the Northern Hemisphere outside tropical regions.
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Key facts
- Constellation.name
- Microscopium
- Constellation.abbreviation
- Mic
- Constellation.genitive
- Microscopii
- Constellation.pronounce
- , genitive
- Constellation.symbolism
- the Microscope
- Constellation.family
- La Caille
- Constellation.quadrant
- SQ4
- Constellation.areatotal
- 210
- Constellation.arearank
- 66th
- Constellation.numbermainstars
- 5
- Constellation.numberbfstars
- 13
- Constellation.numberbrightstars
- 0
- Constellation.numbernearbystars
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Characteristics
- Features
- Stars
- Deep-sky objects
- Meteor showers
- History
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Citations
- Cited texts
- External links
Microscopium ("the Microscope") is a minor constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere, one of twelve created in the 18th century by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille and one of several depicting scientific instruments. The name is a Latinised form of the Greek word for microscope. Its stars are faint and hardly visible from most of the non-tropical Northern Hemisphere.
The constellation's brightest star is Gamma Microscopii of apparent magnitude 4.68, a yellow giant 2.5 times the Sun's mass located 223 ± 8 light-years distant. It passed within 1.14 and 3.45 light-years of the Sun some 3.9 million years ago, possibly disturbing the outer Solar System. Three star systems—WASP-7, AU Microscopii and HD 205739—have been determined to have planets, while other star —the Sun-like star HD 202628— has a debris disk. AU Microscopii and the binary red dwarf system AT Microscopii are probably a wide triple system and members of the Beta Pictoris moving group. Nicknamed "Speedy Mic", BO Microscopii is a star with an extremely fast rotation period of 9 hours, 7 minutes.