The title compound is conveniently synthesized from the known 1,2-diketopyracene via NBS bromination followed by reaction with silver nitrate in acetonitrile, and treatment with sodium acetate trihydrate in DMSO. Ifs structure determined by semiempiricnl PM3 and ab initio calculations is in excellent agreement with the x-ray analysis, and suggests that the bond alternation observed in pyracylene and related compounds is probably not due to antiaromaticity.