Another of Lacaille’s descriptions, Microscopium lies south of Capricornus and west of Piscis Australis. Lacaille drew this as a microscope, one of the new developing scientific instruments of the day.
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 Capricornis and has many stars. At the handle of the neper two and on the iron three.”
|
| Symbol | Mic |
| Right Ascension |
09:04
|
| Declination | -36 |
| Diameter (°) | 11 |
| Area (square °) | 210 |
| Opposition |
Aug 06
|
| Size Rank |
66th
|
| Brightness Rank |
82nd
|
| Genitive | Microscpii |
|