White main-sequence star · Tucana
β² Tucanae
Also known as: β² Tuc, HIP 2487
mag 4.5170 light-years
About
β² Tucanae is a white main-sequence star of magnitude 4.5 in Tucana, about 170 light-years away.
How to find it
- β² Tucanae is in the constellation Tucana.
- Best evenings: around mid-November 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 17° 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
- EyesNeeds a dark sky away from city lights.
- 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 | β² Tucanae (β² Tuc) |
|---|---|
| Hipparcos number | HIP 2487 |
| Type | White main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | A2V |
| Colour | Yellowish whiteB−V colour index 0.15 |
| Magnitude | 4.5The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 170 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1860. |
| Proper motion | 0.099″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Tucana |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 00h 31m 33.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | −62° 57′ 56″ |
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →