What it looks like
Draco is a long, winding northern constellation that coils around Ursa Minor near the celestial pole. Its head is a distinctive trapezoid of four stars, and its brightest star, Eltanin, marks one of the eyes. The constellation contains the Cat's Eye Nebula and the historic star Thuban, which served as the pole star around 3000 BC.
Brightest stars
Draco has no first-magnitude stars; its brightest, Eltanin, sits near magnitude 2.2 and marks one of the dragon's eyes.
| Star | Magnitude | Distance | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eltanin (γ Draconis) | +2.23 | 154 ly | The Head |
| Athebyne (η Draconis) | +2.74 | 92 ly | — |
| Rastaban (β Draconis) | +2.79 | 380 ly | The Head |
| Thuban (α Draconis) | +3.65 | 303 ly | — |
| Altais (δ Draconis) | +3.07 | 97 ly | — |
Mythology and history
In Greek myth, Draco is Ladon, the hundred-headed dragon that guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides and was slain by Heracles.
Ladon and the golden apples
Draco represents Ladon, the dragon (sometimes said to have a hundred heads) that guarded the golden apples in the garden of the Hesperides. As his eleventh labour, Heracles was sent to fetch the apples. He either killed Ladon with an arrow or held up the sky while Atlas retrieved them. Hera, grieved at the dragon's death, placed him in the sky — and later, when Heracles was also placed among the stars, he was shown with one foot on the dragon's head, an eternal reminder of his victory.
How to find it
Look for a long winding line of stars circling between the Big and Little Dippers, with a distinctive four-star head in the north.
- Find the two bears; Draco winds between them.
- Look for the trapezoid of stars that marks the dragon's head.
- Circumpolar from mid-northern latitudes — visible year-round.
Key facts
- Abbreviation
- Dra
- Genitive
- Draconis
- Meaning
- The Dragon
- Brightest star
- Eltanin
- Main stars
- 14
- Area rank
- 8th
- Best visible
- July
- Declination
- +65°
- Meteor showers
- Draconids
- Neighbours
- Boötes, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Cepheus, Ursa Minor, Camelopardalis, Ursa Major
Deep-sky objects
The Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543) is a bright planetary nebula about 3,300 light-years away, showing remarkable structure in Hubble images. The constellation also contains the Draco Dwarf galaxy, one of the faintest known satellite galaxies of the Milky Way.
Frequently asked questions
What does the constellation Draco look like?
Draco is a large northern constellation known as the Dragon, wrapping around the north celestial pole between the two bears, and home to the planetary nebula known as the Cat's Eye.
What is the brightest star in Draco?
The brightest star in Draco is Eltanin, shining at around magnitude 2.23.
When is Draco best visible?
Draco is best seen from northern hemisphere during July.
What is the story behind Draco?
In Greek myth, Draco is Ladon, the hundred-headed dragon that guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides and was slain by Heracles.
Which constellations are near Draco?
Draco borders Boötes, Hercules, Lyra, Cygnus, Cepheus, Ursa Minor, Camelopardalis and Ursa Major.
Ursa Minor
Hercules