Etamin (γ Dra) - The brightest star of the constellation reaches a magnitude of 2 and is clearly orange. It is located 154 light-years away from Earth and is 471 times brighter than the Sun. In the past, it was observed by the English astronomer James Bradley, who used it to discover the aberration of light.
Rastaban (β Dra) - The star has a brightness of 2.8 magnitude and is located 380 light-years away. Together with Etamin, it forms the "Dragon's Eyes". Beta Draconis is a binary star consisting of a main yellow component and a faint companion of 14 magnitude at an angular distance of 4.2", which is not easy to see.
Thuban (α Dra) - Once the brightest star in the constellation, it now has a magnitude of only 3.6. 4,800 years ago, during the time of ancient Egypt, it marked the northern celestial pole and was only 10 arc minutes away from it. However, due to the precession of the Earth's axis, the pole has since shifted towards Polaris, and Thuban is now over 25 degrees away from it. Thuban belongs to the spectral class AO and is located between Mizara and Kochab. It is 215 light-years away and is 135 times brighter than the Sun.
Kuma (ν Dra) - A wide double star composed of two nearly equally bright white stars (4.9 mag), which are located at a mutual separation of 61.9". Even when observing this pair in a telescope, a splendid view is offered. Both components are located 99 light-years away from us.
39 Dra - A multiple star that is visible as a wide pair of stars with magnitudes 5 and 8, even with a small telescope or a binocular. Examining the brighter star at high magnification will reveal an additional (and much closer) component, which also has a magnitude of 8.
16/17 Dra - A nice wide double star, distinguishable in binoculars or small telescopes. The brightness of both components is almost 5.5 magnitude, and they are separated by 90.3". In reality, the component 17 Dra has a close companion, which is located at a distance of 3.4". All stars are bright white.
Alrakis (μ Dra) - A well-known binary star, whose both white components have a brightness of about 5.65 mag, but appear as a single point of 5th magnitude to the naked eye. The mutual orbital period of both companions is over 812 years. By the end of the 20th century, the two stars were separated by about 1.9", requiring higher magnification to be resolved. Therefore, it is a suitable test for a good 100 mm telescope. The system is located 89 light-years away from Earth.
RY Dra - a variable star with a deep red hue. It is one of the cool carbon stars, notable for the carbon molecules present in its atmosphere. The brightness of the star varies between 9.4mag and 11.4mag over a period of 172 days. In a larger telescope it is always found in the middle of the southeastern side of the isosceles triangle of stars 7, 8 and 9 Draconis.
RY Dra - a variable star with a deep red hue. It is one of the cool carbon stars, notable for the carbon molecules present in its atmosphere. The brightness of the star varies between 9.4mag and 11.4mag over a period of 172 days. In a larger telescope it is always found in the middle of the southeastern side of the isosceles triangle of stars 7, 8 and 9 Draconis.
RY Dra - a variable star with a deep red hue. It is one of the cool carbon stars, notable for the carbon molecules present in its atmosphere. The brightness of the star varies between 9.4mag and 11.4mag over a period of 172 days. In a larger telescope it is always found in the middle of the southeastern side of the isosceles triangle of stars 7, 8 and 9 Draconis.
RY Dra - a variable star with a deep red hue. It is one of the cool carbon stars, notable for the carbon molecules present in its atmosphere. The brightness of the star varies between 9.4mag and 11.4mag over a period of 172 days. In a larger telescope it is always found in the middle of the southeastern side of the isosceles triangle of stars 7, 8 and 9 Draconis.
Wolf 457 - White dwarf, one of the smallest known stars - its diameter is only 380 km. It is located 48.9 light-years away and from Earth, we see it as a 13mag object.