Orange giant · Tucana
α Tucanae
Also known as: α Tuc, HIP 110130
mag 2.9200 light-years
About
α Tucanae is an orange giant of magnitude 2.9 in Tucana, about 200 light-years away.
How to find it
- α Tucanae is in the constellation Tucana.
- Best evenings: around mid-October it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 20° N.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesEasy, even from town.
- Binoculars (10×50)A sharp point; binoculars bring out its colour and the fainter stars around it.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Still a point of light at any magnification — stars are too far away to show a disc. Low in the sky, bright stars twinkle and flash colours.
Stars look the same in any instrument: brighter and sharper, but never bigger.
Facts
| Designation | α Tucanae (α Tuc) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 110130 |
| Type | Orange giant |
| Spectral type | K3III |
| Colour | OrangeB−V colour index 1.39 |
| Magnitude | 2.9The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 200 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1830. |
| Proper motion | 0.081″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Tucana |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 18m 30.1s |
| Declination (J2000) | −60° 15′ 35″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →