The American Association of Amateur Astronomers
The Constellation
Tucana - The Toucan
 Tucana
is one of the 15 circumpolar constellations in the southern hemisphere. It is
most famous as the home of the Small Magellanic Cloud, which, with the Large
Magellanic Cloud in Dorado, is one of the two satellite
galaxies of the Milky Way. |
 |
The Toucan is a Brazilian bird,
one of the several birds whose names have been given to Southern Hemisphere
constellations: Tucana, Apus,
Pavo, and Phoenix. It was one
of the 12 constellations first named by Johann Bayer and included in his
Uranometria of 1603.
 Aside from
the SMC, the most famous object in Tucana is the
spectacular globular cluster, NGC 104, better known as 47 Tucanae. This
brilliant globular cluster shines as a bright 4th magnitude star just beside the
SMC, and is easily resolved in even a small telescope. 47 Tucanae is the second
largest globular cluster in the sky, smaller only than Omega
Centauri, or NGC 5139.
Another nice telescope object is
the 6th magnitude globular cluster NGC 362, just on the southern edge of the
SMC.
South Celestial Pole: Octans,
Dorado, Tucana and Magellanic Clouds
Photo copyright Ed Flaspoehler
- La Serena, Chile, 1986
Click on image for a larger view.
This wide angle, 28-mm
photographic image of the South Celestial Pole covers a lot of territory.
In the upper center is the
constellation Octans and the pole itself. To the upper left of
Octans, you can
make out the stars in the constellation Apus.
Just below and left of center is
the Small Magellanic Cloud in Tucana. Look carefully, and you can easily see the
bright globular cluster, 47 Tucanae.
Right of center is the much
larger and brighter Large Magellanic Cloud in Dorado and Mensa. You can easily
make out NGC 2070, the Tarantula Nebula, in the LMC.
Both the LMC and the SMC are
elliptical galaxies which are satellite companions to our own Milky Way Galaxy.
The bright triangle of
Hydrus can
be found nestled between the two Magellanic clouds.
Above the LMC is the
constellation Volans. On the far right you will find the bright star
Canopus in
the constellation Carina. Directly above
Volans, you can make out the
constellation Chamealeon.
Click on the image to get an
enlarged view, and refer to a good star chart to help you pick out these various
constellations and features of the beautiful area surrounding the South
Celestial Pole.
Deep Sky Objects in Tucana
The following objects are on the Astronomical League's Southern Sky Binocular List
Click
HERE to
download PDF
|
Object |
R.A. |
DEC |
Mag |
PA* |
Type |
Size |
Const |
Urn |
SA |
|
NGC 104 |
00 24.1 |
-72 05 |
4.5 |
|
Globular Cluster |
25.0' |
Tuc |
440 |
24 |
|
SMC |
00 52.8 |
-72 50 |
2.7 |
10 |
Galaxy |
316'X186' |
Tuc |
441 |
24 |
|
NGC 362 |
01 03.2 |
-70 51 |
6.6 |
|
Globular Cluster |
12.9' |
Tuc |
441 |
24 |
NOTE: Urn number indicates page in Uranometria
SA number indicates page in Sky Atlas 2000
PA is position angle for Galaxies
Photos and Text © Copyright Edward P. Flaspoehler, Jr.
The Constellation Home Page
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EDITOR: Edward P. Flaspoehler, Jr.
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