circinus

Circinus is a small constellation located in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for "compass," referring to the drafting tool used for drawing circles. Circinus is one of the fainter constellations, containing no stars brighter than magnitude 3.0. It was one of the fourteen constellations introduced by Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century, cataloged during his stay at the Cape of Good Hope.

The constellation is situated in a region of the sky with relatively few bright stars, making it somewhat difficult to identify. It is bordered by Musca, Crux, Centaurus, Norma, and Apus. The most prominent feature within Circinus is the Circinus Galaxy, a spiral galaxy located approximately 13 million light-years away. This galaxy is notable for its active galactic nucleus and is one of the closest Seyfert galaxies to Earth. Within the constellation, astronomers have also identified a supernova remnant and several pulsars. Due to its southern declination, Circinus is best observed from the Southern Hemisphere.