Name a Star in the Microscopium Constellation

Modified: July 1, 2023     Author: International Star Registry

International Star registry 45th anniversary logo surrounded by stars.

Another of Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille’s descriptions, Microscopium lies south of Capricornus and west of Piscis Austrinus. Lacaille drew this as a microscope, one of the newly developed scientific instruments of the day. Like some other constellations designated by Lacaille, it is not bright.  The Germans thought it looked like a neper, or auger. Doctor Christian Ludwig Ideler wrote of this wood boring tool in 1804. “It is situated at the tail of Sagittarius at Capricornus and has many stars. At the handle of the neper two and on the iron three.”  

Microscopium, also known as the Microscope, is a constellation located in the southern hemisphere. It was created by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century and is one of the smaller constellations in the sky. Despite its southern location, it can be seen as far north as Oklahoma in the United States. It borders on Capricornus, Grus, Indus, Piscis Austrinus, Sagittarius and Telescopium, but will require binoculars or a telescope for viewing.  Despite its small size, Microscopium contains several interesting stars. ZThe brightest stars in a constellation are usually called “Alpha” and “Beta” in the original Bayer designation. The stars classified as “Alpha” and “Beta” in 1756, however, fall outside of the boundaries of Microscopium in modern star catalogs. 

The brightest star in Microscopium is “Gamma Microscopii” which is a yellow giant. Although it is about 10x larger than our own sun, it is only about 4.5 magnitude when viewed from Earth.  There are two interesting deep sky objects in Microscopium. Astronomer John Herschel discovered NGC 6925 in 1834. From the Earth we see this barred spiral galaxy from the edge, rather than straight on. Due to this perspective, it appears long and thin. A closer view shows that it is a disk with clearly defined swirls of stars.  Another deep-sky object in Microscopium is NGC 6923. It is another spiral galaxy with a magnitude of about 12. Microscopium, the microscope, is itself difficulty to see without magnification, but if you are looking for an 18th birthday gift idea for an aspiring scientist, you may consider buying a star package to name a star in from International Star Registry in this area of the sky. Click here for more information.

FAQ 

Q. What is Microscopium constellation? 

A. It represents the microscope and is not associated with any myths. 

 

Q. What is Microscopium? 

A. Microscopium is the 66th constellation in size, occupying an area of 210 square degrees. 

 

Q. What is the brightest star in the Microscopium constellation? 

A. Gamma Microscopii is the brightest star with a magnitude of 4.68 

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