| Constellation | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | Mic |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Microscopii |
| Pronunciation | /ˌmaɪkrəˈskɒpiəm/, genitive /ˌmaɪkrəˈskɒpiaɪ/ |
| Symbolism | the Microscope |
| Right ascension | 21h |
| Declination | −36° |
| Quadrant | SQ4 |
| Area | 210 sq. deg. (66th) |
| Main stars | 5 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 13 |
| Stars with planets | 2 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 0 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 2 |
| Brightest star | γ Mic (4.67m) |
| Messier objects | 0 |
| Meteor showers | Microscopids |
| Bordering constellations | |
| Visible at latitudes between +45° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of September. | |
Microscopium ("the Microscope") is a minor constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere, one of twelve created in the 18th century by French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille and one of several depicting scientific instruments. The name is a Latinised form of the Greek word for microscope. Its stars are faint and hardly visible from most of the non-tropical Northern Hemisphere.
The constellation's brightest star is Gamma Microscopii of apparent magnitude 4.68, a yellow giant 2.5 times the Sun's mass located 223 ± 8 light-years distant. It passed within 1.14 and 3.45 light-years of the Sun some 3.9 million years ago, possibly disturbing the outer Solar System. Three star systems—WASP-7, AU Microscopii and HD 205739—have been determined to have planets, while other star —the Sun-like star HD 202628— has a debris disk. AU Microscopii and the binary red dwarf system AT Microscopii are probably a wide triple system and members of the Beta Pictoris moving group. Nicknamed "Speedy Mic", BO Microscopii is a star with an extremely fast rotation period of 9 hours, 7 minutes.