Constellation Circinus (Compasses)
Date:
Southern Hemisphere
Summer
Compasses
Circinus
With an area of 93 square degrees, the Compasses (lat. Circinus) is the fourth smallest constellation in the sky. Since only one of its stars reaches the third magnitude, it is relatively unremarkable.
How to spot Circinus
Circinus is a constellation of the southern hemisphere and best viewed in summer. It is located in the southern Milky Way between the constellations Centaurus, Musca, Lupus, Norma and Triangulum Australe.
History
After the invention of the telescope, the French astronomer Nicolas de Lacaille named some constellations of the southern hemisphere that had not been recognized before. Unlike the 48 constellations of antiquity, which bear the names of mythological figures, he often used the name of technological novelties for the new constellations.