Tucana (The Toucan)

Southern constellation of the toucan, carrying the Small Magellanic Cloud.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Keyser and de Houtman charted it in the 1590s among their southern birds.
• Most of the Small Magellanic Cloud lies within it, and 47 Tucanae beside the cloud is the second-brightest globular cluster in the sky.
• The globular sits visually beside the cloud though it lies tens of thousands of light-years nearer.

Specifications & Metrics

• BRIGHTEST STAR: α Tucanae
• HEMISPHERE: Southern
• BEST VIEWED: October