Name a Star in the Tucana Constellation

The Tucana constellation translates to “the toucan” It was observed in the 16th century by Frederick de Houtman and Pieter Dirkszoon. Tucana is one of several constellations named for exotic animals in the southern sky. Unlike the original 48 constellations of Ptolemy, there are no mythological stories associated with Tucana. Today, due to its large and often colorful bill, the toucan is one of the most distinctive and well-known families of birds. Because it originates in tropical South America, Central America, and Southern Mexico, it would have been quite exotic and unusual when the constellation Tucana first appeared in Johann Bayer’s star atlas Uranometria in 1603.  

The constellation can be located in the southern hemisphere and equatorical regions of the Earth, but it cannot be seen from the United States and further north. It shares a border with the constellations Eridanus, Grus, Hydrus, Indus, Octans and Phoenix. It sits south of Phoenix and Grus. There is a dwarf galaxy known as the Small Magellanic Cloud in Tucana which is visible with the naked eye. It has an apparent magnitude of 2.7. The brightest star in Tucana is a Binary system which includes a smaller star circling an orange giant. It does not have an ancient name. To scientists, it is known as Alpha Tucanae and has an apparent magnitude of 2.86. Tucana contains 47 Tucanae (NGC 104) which is the second largest globular cluster in the sky. It has an apparent magnitude of about 5 and is visible with the naked eye or binoculars in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Tucana is fun place to name a star for an ornithologist or exotic bird lover. Naming a star with International Star Registry makes a unique birthday gift idea for anyone you would like to honor with an unforgettable surprise. When you buy a star package you’ll get the same personalized star certificate that has been featured in movies and on television plus a chart with your star’s location indicated.  Click here for more information.

Overall, Tucana is a fascinating constellation that is worth exploring for anyone who is interested in the southern sky. With its bright stars and interesting deep-sky objects, Tucana offers a lot for amateur astronomers and stargazers to discover. And by naming a star through the International Star Registry, you can give a unique and personal gift that will be cherished for years to come. 

Symbol: Tuc  

Right Ascension: 11:23  

Declination: -63  

Diameter (°): 15  

Area (square °): 295  

Opposition: Sep 13  

Size Rank: 48th  

Brightness Rank: 55th  

Genitive: Tucanae 

Major Stars in Tucana 

α Tucanae (Alpha Tucanae) 

γ Tucanae (Gamma Tucanae) 

ζ Tucanae (Zeta Tucanae) 

κ Tucanae (Kappa Tucanae) 

β Tucanae (Beta Tucanae) 

ε Tucanae (Epsilon Tucanae) 

δ Tucanae (Delta Tucanae) 

ν Tucanae (Nu Tucanae) 

ι Tucanae (Iota Tucanae) 

HD 219077 

HD 4308 

HD 221287 

HD 215497 

HD 5980 

Deep sky objects in Tucana 

Tucana Dwarf 

Small Magellanic Cloud 

NGC 346 

NGC 104 – 47 Tucanae 

NGC 406 

NGC 362 

NGC 248 

NGC 265 

NGC 290