NGC 406 is a spiral galaxy quite similar to the well known Whirlpool Galaxy, located some 65 million light-years away, in the southern constellation of Tucana (the Toucan) and discovered in 1834 by John Herschel. It is described in the New General Catalogue as "faint, very large, round, very gradually a little brighter middle". NGC 406 is about light-years across, roughly half the diameter of the Milky Way. Gallery References External links A Cosmic Whirlpool in Tucana — ESA/Hubble Picture of the week SIMBAD search results for NGC 406 Tucana (constellation) 0406 Unbarred spiral galaxies 18351103 Discoveries by John Herschel 003980