Star profile

Alpha Tucanae

3D likeness based on its real data · class K · ~4,200 K

What is Alpha Tucanae

Alpha Tucanae is the brightest light of a quiet southern constellation, a toucan sketched by Dutch navigators at the end of the sixteenth century. It is an orange K-type giant burning some 200 light-years away, partnered with a spectroscopic companion locked in a silent orbit no small telescope can split. Its warm glow makes it a soft beacon in the deep southern sky, far from the bustle of the older classical figures.

Where it is and when to see it

Alpha Tucanae lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is August, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it never rises above the horizon.
From New York it never rises above the horizon.
From Sydney it never sets and culminates about 64° up.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 30° N.

It is the brightest of the 28 stars of Tucana in our catalogue, which makes it the best starting point for finding your way around the constellation.

The light you see today left it about 200 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Alpha Tucanae

Constellation: Tucana
Apparent magnitude: 2.87
Distance: 199.8 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 334.626° · Dec -60.260°
Catalogue: HIP 110130 · HD 211416

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Other stars in Tucana

Tucana has 28 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 28 stars in Tucana