- Stars with a name
- Thuban
Thuban
α Draconis
Thuban is a white giant, in the constellation Draco. The light you see from it tonight left it around 1723.
Where to find it
From mid-northern latitudes, such as New York, Rome or Tokyo, it never sets: it circles the pole all night, all year.
Visible to the naked eye away from the brightest lights. Apparent magnitude 3.67.
What it’s like
It gives off 256 times as much light as the Sun.
Its surface is at about 10,800 degrees.
It is 303.1 light years away: 2868 trillion kilometres.