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Circinus
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Seyfert galaxy
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Ursa major constellation illustration art. (Big Dipper) stars, space, night sky)
Stars: Explosions in Space
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Latin:
“Compass”
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Circinus

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

Circinus, constellation in the southern sky at about 15 hours right ascension and 60° south in declination. Its brightest star is Alpha Circini, with a magnitude of 3.2. The Circinus Galaxy is one of the nearest Seyfert galaxies at a distance of about 13 million light-years. The French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille formed this constellation in 1754; it represents the compass, or divider, used in navigation and drafting.

Erik Gregersen