Mu Draconis
 Location of μ Draconis (circled) |
|
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 |
|
|---|---|
| Constellation | Draco |
| Right ascension | 17h 05m 19.7s |
| Declination | +54° 28′ 13″ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 5.8 / 5.61 |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | F7V |
| U−B color index | 0.05 |
| B−V color index | 0.48 |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | −4.5 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) |
RA: −68.4 mas/yr Dec.: 88.7 mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 37.08 ± 0.89 mas |
| Distance | 88 ± 2 ly (27.0 ± 0.6 pc) |
| Orbit | |
| Companion | HIP 83608 |
| Period (P) | 672 yr |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Mu Draconis (μ Draconis, μ Dra) is a binary star with a combined magnitude of 4.92m located approximately 85 light years from the Solar System, near the head of the constellation Draco. The component stars are nearly identical yellow-white stars in a tight 672 year orbit. Each is of the spectral class F7V and has a visual magnitude of 5.8m. Under ideal seeing conditions, the pair can be resolved with a small 60 mm (2.4 in) aperture telescope at about 120 power.
Mu Draconis is also known by its older name Alrakis, which is derived from name given to it in Arabic by Arabian stargazers, al-Rāqiṣ, "the Trotting Camel" or "the Dancer". This name is also sometimes spelled in the English as "Arrakis" or "Errakis".
This star, along with β Dra (Rastaban), γ Dra (Eltanin), ν Dra (Kuma) and ξ Dra (Grumium) were Al ʽAwāïd, "the Mother Camels", which was later known as the Quinque Dromedarii.
Science fiction writer Frank Herbert chose Arrakis as the name of the primary planet in his famous Dune series of novels, aware that the word "Arrakis" is the transliteration into English of the Arabic words for "the Dancer" (al-Raqis). However, Herbert uses the name not to describe μ Draconis, but the fictional planet Arrakis as the third planet of the star Canopus (α Carinae) in the constellation Carina.
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