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 242 (mag 12.1) | NGC 419 (mag 10.5) | NGC 7329 (mag 11.3) |
| β¹-Tuc (mag 4.3) | NGC 222 (mag 12.6) | NGC 121 (mag 11.2) | NGC 406 (mag 13.0) |
| ε-Tuc (mag 4.5) | NGC 231 (mag 12.9) | NGC 416 (mag 11.8) | NGC 484 (mag 13.1) |
| β²-Tuc (mag 4.5) | NGC 176 (mag 13.0) | NGC 361 (mag 11.8) | NGC 7219 (mag 13.1) |
| δ-Tuc (mag 4.5) | IC 1655 (mag 14.0) | NGC 265 (mag 12.2) | NGC 7417 (mag 13.2) |
| κ-Tuc (mag 5.0) | IC 1662 (mag 14.0) | NGC 339 (mag 12.2) | NGC 7676 (mag 13.4) |
| ν-Tuc (mag 5.0) | NGC 220 (mag 14.4) | NGC 152 (mag 12.3) | NGC 7823 (mag 13.4) |
| η-Tuc (mag 5.0) | NGC 371 | NGC 269 (mag 12.6) | NGC 360 (mag 13.4) |
| β³-Tuc (mag 5.1) | NGC 465 | NGC 7650 (mag 13.4) | |
| HD 212330 (mag 5.3) | IC 5222 (mag 13.5) | ||
| ι-Tuc (mag 5.3) | IC 5176 (mag 13.5) | ||
| ρ-Tuc (mag 5.4) | NGC 466 (mag 13.6) | ||
| λ²-Tuc (mag 5.5) | NGC 7358 (mag 13.6) | ||
| π-Tuc (mag 5.5) | IC 5244 (mag 13.7) | ||
| HD 225253 (mag 5.6) | NGC 53 (mag 13.7) | ||
| HD 220572 (mag 5.6) | NGC 440 (mag 13.8) | ||
| CG Tuc (mag 5.6) | IC 5188 (mag 13.8) | ||
| HD 220790 (mag 5.6) | NGC 7734 (mag 13.9) | ||
| HD 219482 (mag 5.7) | NGC 432 (mag 14.0) | ||
| HD 222820 (mag 5.7) | IC 5227 (mag 14.0) | ||
| BQ Tuc (mag 5.8) | IC 5323 (mag 14.0) | ||
| HD 3823 (mag 5.9) | IC 5324 (mag 14.1) | ||
| HD 224361 (mag 5.9) | NGC 7661 (mag 14.1) |