Galaxy · Elliptical
Tucana
Tucana is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Tucana, 2.87 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Tucana |
| Distance | 2.87 million light-years (880.0 kpc) |
| Diameter | 2,414 light-years · 0.028 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −9.80 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.92 |
| Luminosity | 3.6 × 10⁻⁵ × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 22h 41m 49.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −64° 25′ 12″ |
| Source | Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (Karachentsev et al. 2013) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.92. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 26° N. South of latitude 26° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in August, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 2.9 million years ago. At that time the dinosaurs were gone and mammals were diversifying; there was no human lineage yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 50.9 billion years.