Draco

Abbreviation: Dra
Genitive: Draconis
Right Ascension: 17.75 hours
Declination: 62.51 degrees

Draco, the Dragon, used to hold special significance as the location of the pole star, but due to the Earth's precession, the pole has shifted to Polaris in Ursa Minor. The Dragon is usually associated with guardian's of the temples and treasures. Draco was important as it was the guardian of the star that never moves, the celestial pole. The celestial pole in ancient times was the doorway between the mortal world and the eternity.

In Greek mythology the dragon is Ladon, the guardian of the 'golden apples' of immortality which grew in the garden of Hesperides, beyond the River of Time, in the land of death. It is Ladon which Hercules kills in his 11th labor to get the golden apples.

Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)

Common Name or Bayer Number 1	RA	DEC	Magnitude 2
ELTANIN	17.00:56.00:36.36	+51.00:29.00:20.21	2.23
RASTABAN	17.00:30.00:25.95	+52.00:18.00:5.12	2.79
ALTAIS	19.00:12.00:33.28	+67.00:39.00:41.57	3.07
ZET DRA	17.00:8.00:47.19	+65.00:42.00:52.79	3.17
EDASICH	15.00:24.00:55.76	+58.00:57.00:57.83	3.29
CHI DRA	18.00:21.00:3.38	+72.00:43.00:58.33	3.57
THUBAN	14.00:4.00:23.34	+64.00:22.00:33.05	3.65
GRUMIUM	17.00:53.00:31.72	+56.00:52.00:21.56	3.75
GIAUSAR	11.00:31.00:24.24	+69.00:19.00:51.87	3.84
KAP DRA	12.00:33.00:28.95	+69.00:47.00:17.62	3.87
THE DRA	16.00:1.00:53.33	+58.00:33.00:54.96	4.01
TAU DRA	19.00:15.00:33.00	+73.00:21.00:19.65	4.45
PSI DRA	17.00:41.00:56.34	+72.00:8.00:55.89	4.58
10 DRA	13.00:51.00:25.92	+64.00:43.00:23.75	4.65
OMI DRA	18.00:51.00:12.08	+59.00:23.00:18.13	4.66
OMG DRA	17.00:36.00:57.08	+68.00:45.00:28.72	4.80
UPS DRA	18.00:54.00:23.85	+71.00:17.00:49.92	4.82
NU2 DRA	17.00:32.00:16.01	+55.00:10.00:22.60	4.87
NU1 DRA	17.00:32.00:10.55	+55.00:11.00:3.41	4.88
15 DRA	16.00:27.00:59.00	+68.00:46.00:5.31	5.00
36 DRA	18.00:13.00:53.80	+64.00:23.00:50.19	5.03
35 DRA	17.00:49.00:27.00	+76.00:57.00:46.27	5.04
27 DRA	17.00:31.00:57.86	+68.00:8.00:6.11	5.05
AF DRA	20.00:31.00:30.41	+74.00:57.00:16.66	5.20
8 DRA	12.00:55.00:28.54	+65.00:26.00:18.50	5.24
3 DRA	11.00:42.00:28.37	+66.00:44.00:41.55	5.30
76 DRA	20.00:42.00:35.20	+82.00:31.00:52.33	5.75

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.

Object	R.A.	Dec.	Object Type 3	Mag.	Uranometria	Tirion
NGC 4125	12 08.0	+65 11	GALXY	09.7	025	02
NGC 4236	12 16.7	+69 29	GALXY	09.6	025	02
NGC 5866	15 06.5	+55 45	GALXY	09.9	050	02
UGC 10822	17 20.2	+57 55	GALXY	09.9	052	03
NGC 6543	17 58.6	+66 38	PLNNB	08.3	030	03

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

GCVS ID	R.A. (hh mm ss.ss)	Dec. (deg mm ss)	Variable Type 4	Mag. Min	Mag. Max
RY Dra	12.00:54.00:28.10	+66.00:15.00:52.00	SRB:	8.00	6.03
UX Dra	19.00:23.00:22.40	+76.00:27.00:42.00	SRA:	7.10	5.94
VW Dra	17.00:15.00:52.80	+60.00:43.00:24.00	SRD:	7.00	6.00
AC Dra	20.00:19.00:53.20	+68.00:43.00:14.00	LB	0.25	7.14
AF Dra	20.00:32.00:11.30	+74.00:47.00:1.00	ACV	5.22	5.15
AT Dra	16.00:16.00:25.00	+59.00:52.00:33.00	LB	7.50	6.80
CL Dra	15.00:56.00:36.00	+54.00:53.00:25.00	DSCTC	0.02	4.95
CN Dra	19.00:46.00:41.40	+68.00:18.00:48.00	DSCTC	0.09	6.29
CQ Dra	12.00:27.00:55.80	+69.00:28.00:41.00	LB:	5.04	4.95
CU Dra	13.00:49.00:58.20	+64.00:58.00:11.00	LB:	4.67	4.52
CX Dra	18.00:45.00:36.00	+52.00:55.00:56.00	GCAS+ELL	5.99	5.68
DE Dra	20.00:18.00:46.70	+62.00:5.00:54.00	EA/DM	0.16	5.72
DK Dra	12.00:13.00:21.40	+72.00:49.00:45.00	RS	0.19	6.29
DL Dra	14.00:40.00:48.20	+61.00:28.00:28.00	DSCTC	6.29	6.22
DQ Dra	16.00:23.00:19.50	+55.00:19.00:5.00	ACV	0.01	5.74
DR Dra	17.00:34.00:3.30	+74.00:15.00:33.00	RS	0.12	6.55
DZ Dra	17.00:36.00:44.90	+68.00:31.00:3.00	SRB:	0.03	7.60
EE Dra	18.00:59.00:11.70	+69.00:27.00:35.00	ACV	0.05	5.84
ER Dra	14.00:30.00:21.20	+60.00:26.00:43.00	DSCTC	0.03	6.18
kap Dra	12.00:31.00:21.60	+70.00:3.00:49.00	GCAS	4.01	3.82
omi Dra	18.00:50.00:27.80	+59.00:19.00:36.00	RS	0.10	4.63
phi Dra	18.00:21.00:28.50	+71.00:18.00:42.00	ACV	0.04	4.22

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

Name	R.A. (hh mm.m)	Dec. (deg mm)	Mag 5	Sep 6	PA 7	Tirion	Uranometria
STF 1362	09 38.0	73 05	7.2, 7.2	4.70	127	2	8
STT 242	12 00.1	70 39	7.9, 8.0	32.20	154	2	25
STF 25	13 13.6	67 17	6.8, 7.0	178.80	296	2	26
STT 123	13 27.1	64 43	6.7, 7.0	68.90	147	2	26
STT 138	15 20.1	60 22	7.4, 7.6	150.50	199	2	28/ 50
STF 30	16 36.3	52 55	5.6, 5.6	90.30	194	3	52
STF 30	16 36.3	52 55	6.6, 5.6	90.00	195	3	52
STF 2078	16 36.3	52 55	5.6, 6.6	3.20	107	3	52
STF 2118	16 56.4	65 01	6.9, 7.4	1.10	70	3	29
STF 2130	17 05.4	54 28	5.8, 5.8	2.10	42	3	52
STF 2180	17 29.0	50 52	7.7, 7.9	3.10	261	3	52/ 53/ 81
STF 35	17 32.1	55 10	5.0, 5.0	61.90	312	3	53
STF 2241	17 41.9	72 09	4.9, 6.1	30.30	15	3	12/ 30
STT 163	17 56.4	62 36	7.2, 7.7	57.20	42	3	30
STF 2273	17 59.2	64 08	7.5, 7.8	21.40	285	3	30
STF 2308	18 00.1	79 59	5.8, 6.2	19.10	232	3	12
STF 2323	18 24.0	58 48	4.9, 7.9	3.80	351	3	53
STF 2323	18 24.0	58 48	4.9, 7.3	88.90	21	3	53
STF 2323	18 24.0	58 48	7.9, 7.3	85.60	22	3	53
STF 2348	18 33.9	52 18	6.0, 8.0	26.00	272	3	54
STF 2368	18 38.9	52 20	7.6, 7.8	1.90	322	3	54
STF 2420	18 51.2	59 22	4.9, 7.9	34.60	324	3	54
STF 2452	18 53.5	75 47	6.6, 7.4	5.60	218	3	12
STF 2549	19 31.2	63 18	7.4, 8.0	50.70	275	3	31
STF 2603	19 48.1	70 16	4.0, 7.6	3.10	16	3	31/ 32
75 DRA	20 28.2	81 25	5.6, 6.9	197.70	283	3	13