Star profile
Phi Draco
Variable starWhat is Phi Draco
Phi Draconis is one of the brightest magnetic chemically-peculiar stars in the sky: its surface holds powerful magnetic fields that pin patches of silicon, iron and chromium, and as it turns every 1.7 days those spots subtly modulate its light. It also belongs to a triple system, with an inner companion tracing an eccentric 128-day orbit. Its modest glow, 303 light-years away, hides an extraordinary physics.
Where it is and when to see it
Phi Draco lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is December: the Sun sits at the opposite point of the sky and the star culminates around midnight. How high it climbs above the horizon depends on the latitude you watch from.
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The signature wall
Stelvia's sky works like a signature wall: anyone can leave their name and a message on a real star, and that signature goes up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
A signature without a lock can be replaced by someone else's. The lock makes the signature permanent and lets you choose a symbolic name for the star, always shown next to the star's catalogue identifier. How the lock works
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A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Phi Draco
- Constellation
- Draco
- Apparent magnitude
- 4.22
- Distance
- 302.9 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 275.189° · Dec 71.338°
- Catalogue
- HIP 89908 · HD 170000
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Draco
Draco has 122 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- EltaninGamma Draco2.24
- AthebyneEta Draco2.73
- RastabanBeta Draco2.79
- Epsilon Draco3.84
- Kappa Draco3.85
- Theta Draco4.01
- HIP 471934.28
- Tau Draco4.45