Circinus (abbr. Cir, gen. Circini) The Compasses; a very small, faint southern constellation. Its brightest star, Alpha (visual magnitude 3.18; absolute magnitude 2.10; spectral type F1V; distance 53 light-years; R.A. 14h 42m 28s, Dec. -64° 58' 43"), and next two brightest stars, form a narrow triangle that lies east of Alpha Centauri. Two deep-sky objects of interest are Circinus X-1 and the Circinus Galaxy.