Tucana Constellation Myths and Facts

Tucana: The Toucan

Pronunciation: too-KAY-nuh/too-KAH-nuh
Tucana, The Toucan
Tucana as depicted by Johann Bayer in his Uranometria (1603). Source image provided by www.RareMaps.com — Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc.
Tucana Constellation Profile
Abbreviation: Tuc Genitive: Tucanae
Origin: Keyser/de Houtman Location: Southern Hemisphere
Best View (North): Best View (South):
Bordering Constellations: Octans, Hydrus, Eridanus, Phoenix, Grus, Indus

The Myth Behind the Constellation Tucana

Tucana, “The Toucan”, is one of the inventions of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, two Dutch navigators who observed the southern skies at the end of the sixteenth century. Responsible for creating 12 southern constellations, Tucana is another of the duos designs that was based on wildlife.  It represents the South American bird with the large, colorful bill.

Tucana Constellation Points of Interest

Interesting stars and objects.

Bright Stars in Tucana

These are the stars in Tucana with a minimum magnitude of 3.0.
Name Bayer Name Magnitude Color Luminosity Distance
Alpha Tucanae Alpha Tucanae 2.84  Orange 933 suns 199 ly