Circinus

"The Compass"

By IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Abbreviation: Cir
Genitive: Circini
Constellation family: Lacaille
Nearest constellations: Apus, Centaurus, Lupus, Musca, Norma, and Triangulum Australe
Right ascension: 15.08h
Declination: -59.02°
Visible between latitudes: +20° and -90°
Square degrees: 93
Luminary: Alpha Circini
Notable deep sky objects: NGC 5715, NGC 5823, Pismis 20, Circinus X-1, Circinus Galaxy

About

Circinus is a very small constellation in the Southern Hemisphere. It is best seen in June.

Circinus represents the type of compass used by navigators to measure distances. It was named by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 1700s.

Mythology

There is no mythology associated with this constellation.

Gallery of objects in Circinus

PSR B1509-58 (pulsar):

By NASA/CXC/CfA/P. Slane et al. (NASA) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

NGC 5315 (planetary nebula):

By Judy Schmidt [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

IRAS 14568-6304 (a young star):

By ESA/Hubble & NASA, acknowledgements: R. Sahai (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Serge Meunier [CC-BY-3.0], via ESA/Hubble

Circinus Galaxy:

By NASA, Andrew S. Wilson (University of Maryland); Patrick L. Shopbell (Caltech); Chris Simpson (Subaru Telescope); Thaisa Storchi-Bergmann and F. K. B. Barbosa (UFRGS, Brazil); and Martin J. Ward (University of Leicester, U.K.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons