Yellow-white main-sequence star · Draco
Alrakis
Also known as: μ Draconis (μ Dra)
mag 5.676 light-years
About
Alrakis (μ Draconis) is a yellow-white main-sequence star of magnitude 5.6 in Draco, about 76 light-years away.
How to find it
- Alrakis is in the constellation Draco.
- Best evenings: around late July it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from north of 26° S.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNeeds a dark sky away from city lights.
- Binoculars (10×50)A sharp point; binoculars bring out its colour and the fainter stars around it.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Still a point of light at any magnification — stars are too far away to show a disc. Low in the sky, bright stars twinkle and flash colours.
Stars look the same in any instrument: brighter and sharper, but never bigger.
Facts
| Proper name | Alrakis |
|---|---|
| Designation | μ Draconis (μ Dra) |
| Type | Yellow-white main-sequence star |
| Spectral type | F7 V |
| Colour | YellowB−V colour index 0.47 |
| Magnitude | 5.6The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 76 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1950. |
| Proper motion | 0.11″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Draco |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 17h 05m 19.4s |
| Declination (J2000) | +54° 28′ 09″ |
More in Draco
NGC 6543Cat's Eye NebulaPlanetary nebula · mag 9.0
NGC 4236Galaxymag 9.8
M102Spindle GalaxyGalaxy · mag 9.9.jpg?width=160)
NGC 6503Lost in Space GalaxyGalaxy · mag 10.1.jpg?width=160)
NGC 6621Edward's GalaxyGalaxy · mag 13.4NGC 6622Edward's GalaxyGalaxy · mag 14.1Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →