Generalities: it is a southern constellation, famous more for the presence of great part of the Great Cloud of Magellano,  than for its stars, rather weak. The transit at midnight takes place in December.

Origins and mythology: this constellation belongs to the so-called “modern” ones  and it is not tied to any particular traditions.

Stars: the brightest star is alpha, of magnitude 3.27 and white color. There are not any other stars under  magnitude 4.

Table of stars brighter than magnitude 3.5
 

Star	Proper name	Magnitude	Spectrum	Colour	Distance (light-years)	Notes
Alpha		3.27	A0	white	192

Other objects: it contains the Great Cloud of Magellano, small satellite galaxy  of the Milky Way. It is the  galaxy closest to us and it has as much matter as that present  in a quarter of the Milky Way. The Great Cloud of Magellano  extends for 50,000 light-years altogether . Its distance is  190,000 light-years. In the Doradus there is then an interesting nebula called Tarantula. It is the greatest nebula  known and it is the formation center  of new stars.

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