The Constellation Tucana
by Dominic Ford
The constellation Tucana.
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Source: Stellarium.
Source: Stellarium.
Tucana is a faint constellation which lies close to the south celestial pole. Across much of the southern hemisphere it is circumpolar, but it appears highest in the evening sky in the months around September.
It represents a toucan and was created by Keyser & de Houtman in 1598.
Tucana is best known for its deep sky objects, which include 47 Tucanae, one of the brightest globular clusters in the sky. Most of the Small Magellanic Cloud also lies within its borders.
Date First Appeared
1598 (Keyser & de Houtman)
1598 (Keyser & de Houtman)
Sky Area
0.7% of the sky
294.6 square degrees
0.7% of the sky
294.6 square degrees
Messier Objects
Tucana contains no Messier objects
Tucana contains no Messier objects
| Stars | Open Clusters | Globular Clusters | Galaxies |
| Stars | Open Clusters | Globular Clusters | Galaxies |
| α-Tuc (mag 2.8) | NGC 330 (mag 9.6) | NGC 104 (mag 4.1) | NGC 292 (mag 2.2) |
| γ-Tuc (mag 4.0) | NGC 290 (mag 11.7) | NGC 362 (mag 6.6) | IC 5250 (mag 11.1) |
| ζ-Tuc (mag 4.2) | NGC 222 (mag 12.6) | NGC 419 (mag 10.5) | NGC 7329 (mag 11.3) |
| β¹-Tuc (mag 4.3) | NGC 231 (mag 12.9) | NGC 121 (mag 11.2) | NGC 7219 (mag 13.1) |
| ε-Tuc (mag 4.5) | NGC 176 (mag 13.0) | NGC 416 (mag 11.8) | NGC 7408 (mag 15.4) |
| β²-Tuc (mag 4.5) | IC 1655 (mag 14.0) | NGC 361 (mag 11.8) | |
| δ-Tuc (mag 4.5) | IC 1662 (mag 14.0) | NGC 265 (mag 12.2) | |
| κ-Tuc (mag 5.0) | NGC 220 (mag 14.4) | NGC 339 (mag 12.2) | |
| ν-Tuc (mag 5.0) | NGC 152 (mag 12.3) | ||
| η-Tuc (mag 5.0) | NGC 269 (mag 12.6) | ||
| β³-Tuc (mag 5.1) | |||
| HD 212330 (mag 5.3) | |||
| ι-Tuc (mag 5.3) | |||
| ρ-Tuc (mag 5.4) | |||
| λ²-Tuc (mag 5.5) | |||
| π-Tuc (mag 5.5) | |||
| HD 225253 (mag 5.6) | |||
| HD 220572 (mag 5.6) | |||
| CG Tuc (mag 5.6) | |||
| HD 220790 (mag 5.6) | |||
| HD 219482 (mag 5.7) | |||
| HD 222820 (mag 5.7) | |||
| BQ Tuc (mag 5.8) | |||
| HD 3823 (mag 5.9) | |||
| HD 224361 (mag 5.9) |