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Norma
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Ursa major constellation illustration art. (Big Dipper) stars, space, night sky)
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Latin:
“Square”
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Norma

constellation
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

Norma, constellation in the southern sky at about 16 hours right ascension and 50° south in declination. Its brightest star is Gamma2 Normae, with a magnitude of 4.0. The French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille formed this constellation in 1754. It represents the square, the device used in drafting to draw right angles.

Erik Gregersen
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