Star profile

Tau Draco

3D likeness based on its real data · class K · ~4,200 K

What is Tau Draco

Tau Draconis coils, with its neighbours, along the long body of the Dragon that snakes between the two Bears. An orange type K giant some 146 light-years away, its placid brightness and warm tone evoke the maturity of a star that has spent its core hydrogen and is preparing for the next phase. Its northern latitude makes it circumpolar across much of the northern hemisphere, a fixed companion that never sinks below the horizon.

Where it is and when to see it

Tau 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 November, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it never sets and culminates about 68° up.
From New York it never sets and culminates about 57° up.
From Sydney it never rises above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 17° S.

It ranks no. 16 in brightness among the 122 stars of Draco in our catalogue. To find it, start from Eltanin, the brightest: it lies about 23° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 150 years ago.

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Astronomical data for Tau Draco

Constellation: Draco
Apparent magnitude: 4.45
Distance: 146.4 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 288.888° · Dec 73.355°
Catalogue: HIP 94648 · HD 181984

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Other stars in Draco

Draco has 122 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 122 stars in Draco