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Microscopium
Introduction References & Edit History
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Ursa major constellation illustration art. (Big Dipper) stars, space, night sky)
Stars: Explosions in Space
Quick Facts
Latin:
“Microscope”
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Microscopium

astronomy
Written by
Erik Gregersen
Erik Gregersen is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica, specializing in the physical sciences and technology. Before joining Britannica in 2007, he worked at the University of Chicago Press on the...
Erik Gregersen
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Microscopium, constellation in the southern sky at about 21 hours right ascension and 35° south in declination. Its brightest star is Gamma Microscopii, with a magnitude of 4.7. The French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille formed this constellation in 1754; it represents a microscope.

Erik Gregersen
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