Draco (The Dragon) Constellation
Draco (pronounced ˈdreɪkoʊ) is the Latin name of a large constellation (in fact it extends itself for about 70 degrees across the sky) situated close to the northern celestial pole. As such, it is visible for most part of the year from the northern hemisphere.
In English language this constellation is also known as "The Dragon" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Dra" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Drac" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).
The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Draconis" (pronounced drəˈkoʊnɪs) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Draconis (the brightest star of Draco based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Draconis (the 23th star in the constellation of Draco based on the Flamsteed catalog).
Sky Chart of Draco Constellation
Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Draco constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Draco in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Visibility of Draco Constellation
Location: Greenwich, UK
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Draco is circumpolar and transits at 07:20 UTC (altitude: 77.9°)
The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations (like Draco actually is) these times can have little relevance.
Bright Stars in Draco Constellation
The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Draco constellation. See also the complete list of 224 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Draco. Click on each star to see more details about it.
HR Number(*) | Star designation | Proper name | Visual magnitude | Color | Notes | |
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HR6705 | γ Draconis | Eltanin | 2.23 | ⬤ | Multiple; |
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HR6132 | η Draconis | Athebyne | 2.74 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; |
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HR6536 | β Draconis | Rastaban | 2.79 | ⬤ | Multiple; |
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HR7310 | δ Draconis | Altais | 3.07 | ⬤ | Double; |
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HR6396 | ζ Draconis | Aldhibah | 3.17 | ⬤ | |
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HR5744 | ι Draconis | Edasich | 3.29 | ⬤ | Variable; Double; |
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HR6927 | χ Draconis | 3.57 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; | |
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HR5291 | α Draconis | Thuban | 3.65 | ⬤ | Variable; |
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HR6688 | ξ Draconis | Grumium | 3.75 | ⬤ | Double; |
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HR7582 | ε Draconis | 3.83 | ⬤ | Variable; Double; | |
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HR4434 | λ Draconis | Giausar | 3.84 | ⬤ | Variable; |
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HR4787 | κ Draconis | 3.87 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR5986 | θ Draconis | 4.01 | ⬤ | ||
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HR6920 | φ Draconis | 4.22 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; | |
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HR3751 | 4.29 | ⬤ | |||
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HR7352 | τ Draconis | 4.45 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR7685 | ρ Draconis | 4.51 | ⬤ | Multiple; | |
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HR6636 | ψ1 Draconis | Dziban | 4.58 | ⬤ | Multiple; |
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HR7371 | π Draconis | 4.59 | ⬤ | ||
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HR5226 | 10 Draconis | 4.65 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; | |
...go to the complete list of 224 bright stars in the constellation of Draco |
(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.
Deep Sky Objects in Draco Constellation
The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Draco constellation. See also the complete list of 349 deep sky objects in the constellation of Draco. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).