A

David

Darling

Draco

Draco constellation

Draco. © 2003 Torsten Bronger.


Draco (abbreviation: Dra), the Dragon, is a large constellation that coils around the north celestial pole, appearing to encircle Ursa Minor, and is one of the few star patterns to somewhat resemble the object after which it is named. The four stars forming the dragons head – Beta, Gamma, Xi, and Nu Dra – make up a conspicuous asterism known as the Lozenge.

 

Among Draco's interesting deep-sky objects are the Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543), the Draco Dwarf, and 3C 351, a quasar lying at a distance of about 7 billion light-years (magnitude 15.3; RA 17h, Dec +60°). See below for details of the constellation's brightest stars.

 


Draco Dwarf

 

Draco Dwarf
Draco Dwarf. Image credit: Mischa Schirmer.

 

The Draco Dwarf is a dwarf elliptical galaxy that orbits the Milky Way at a distance of about 250,000 light-years from the galactic center. It is the least luminous galaxy known, with an absolute magnitude of –8.6 and a diameter of only about 3,500 light-years. It was discovered in 1954 at the same time as another Milky Way satellite, the Ursa Minor Dwarf.

 

Stars brighter than magnitude 4.0
star vis mag abs mag spec type distance (ly) RA (h m s) Dec (° ' ")
Gamma (Eltanin) 2.24 -1.04 K5III 148 17 56 36 +51 29 20
Eta (Aldhibain) 2.73 -6.27 G8IIIab 2,050 16 23 59 +61 30 50
Beta (Rastaban) 2.79 -2.44 G2Ib-IIa 361 17 30 26 +52 18 05
Delta (Taïs) 3.07 0.63 G9III 100 19 12 33 +67 39 41
Zeta (Aldhibah) 3.17 -1.90 B6III 320 17 08 47 +65 42 53
Iota (Edasich) 3.29 -1.92 B6III 339 15 24 56 +58 57 58
Chi 3.55 4.01 F7V 26 18 21 03 +72 43 58
Alpha (Thuban) 3.67 -1.21 A0III 308 14 04 23 +64 22 33
Xi (Juza) 3.73 1.06 K2III 111 17 53 32 +56 52 21
Epsilon (Tyl) 3.84 0.59 G8IIIbCN 146 19 48 10 +70 16 04
Lambda (Giausar) 3.82 -1.24 M0IIICa 334 11 31 24 +69 19 52
Kappa 3.85 -2.07 B6IIIpe 498 12 33 29 +69 47 17

 


Constellations
Andromeda | Antlia | Apus | Aquarius | Aquila | Ara | Aries | Auriga | Bootes | Caelum | Camelopardalis | Cancer | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Capricornus | Carina | Cassiopeia | Centaurus | Cepheus | Cetus | Chamaeleon | Circinus | Columba | Coma Berenices | Corona Austrina | Corona Borealis | Corvus | Crater | Crux | Cygnus | Delphinus | Dorado | Draco | Equuleus | Eridanus | Fornax | Gemini | Grus | Hercules | Horologium | Hydra | Hydrus | Indus | Lacerta | Leo | Leo Minor | Lepus | Libra | Lupus | Lynx | Lyra | Mensa | Microscopium | Monoceros | Musca | Norma | Octans | Ophiuchus | Orion | Pavo | Pegasus | Perseus | Phoenix | Pictor | Pisces | Piscis Austrinus | Puppis | Pyxis | Reticulum | Sagitta | Sagittarius | Scorpius | Sculptor | Scutum | Serpens | Sextans | Taurus | Telescopium | Triangulum | Triangulum Australe | Tucana | Ursa Major | Ursa Minor | Vela | Virgo | Volans | Vulpecula