ETAMIN

Fixed star: ETAMIN Eltanin, Rastaban

Constellation: Gamma () Draco
Longitude 1900: 26SAG35 Longitude 2000: 27SAG58
Declination 1900: +51.30' Declination 2000: +51.29'
Right ascension: 17h 56m Latitude: +74.55'
Spectral class: K5
Magnitude: 2.4

The history of the star: Etamin

from p.207 of Star Names, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889.
[A scanned copy can be viewed on this webpage]

Gamma () Draco,
Etamin, is a double orange star in the right eye of the Dragon.
Eltanin, also written Ettanin, Etannin, Etanim, Etamin, etc., is from the 15th century Tartar
astronomer Ulug Beg's Al Ras al Tinnin, the Dragon's Head, applied to this, as it also
{p.208} is to alpha ( Thuban); the Italian astronomer Riccioli (15981671) wrote it Ras
Eltanim. The word Tinnin is nearly synonymous with Thu'ban ( alpha is Thuban), and the
17th century German astronomer Bayer mentioned Rastaben as one of its titles, the Alfonsine
Rasaben, and now Rastaban, "head of the snake" in the Century Cyclopedia; but in early
Arabic astronomy it was one of the Herd of Camels alluded to at beta ( Alwaid).
The 14th century Arabian lexicographer Firuzabadi referred to a Ras al Tinnin and Dhanab al
Tinnin in the heavens, the Dragon's Head, and Tail (the Nodes of the Moon, Caput Dragonis
, and Cauda Dragonis . In Vedic astrology the North Node is refered to as Rahu and the
South Node as Ketu.); but these have no connection with our Draco, reference being there
made solely to the ascending and descending nodes in the orbits of the moon and planets

known to Arabian astronomers under these titles. Primarily, however, these were from India,
and known as Rahu and Kitu. This idea seems to have originated from the fact that the moon's
undulating course was symbolized by that of the stellar Hydra; and had the latter word been
used instead of "Dragon," the expression would now be better understood. But it was familiar
to seamen as late as the 16th century, for "the head and tayle of the Dragon" [the nodical
month also is called the Dracontic, or Draconitic] appears in Eden's Dedication, of 1574, to
Sir Wyllyam Wynter; and even now the symbols,
for the ascending node and for the
descending, are used in text-books and almanacs.
Millenniums before this, however, it was of importance on the Nile, as it ceased to be
circumpolar about 5000 B.C., and a few centuries thereafter became the natural successor of
Dubhe (alpha Ursa Major), which up to that date had been the prominent object of Egyptian
temple worship in the north, gamma ( this star Etamin) was known there as Isis, or Taurt
Isis, the former name applied at one time to Sirius,and it marked the head of the
Hippopotamus that was part of our Draco. Its rising was visible about 3500 B.C. Through the
central passages of the temples of Hathor at Denderah and of Mut at Thebes; Canopus being,
seen through other openings toward the south at the same date. And Lockyer says that thirteen
centuries later it became the orientation point of the great Karnak temples of Rameses and
Khons at Thebes, the passage in the former, through which the star was {p.209} observed,
being 1500 feet in length; and that at least seven different temples were oriented toward it.
When precession had put an end to this use of these temples, others are thought to have been
built with the same purpose in view; so that there are now found three different sets of
structures close together, and so oriented that the dates of all, hitherto not certainly known,
may be determinable by this knowledge of the purpose for which they were designed. Such
being the case, Lockyer concludes that Hipparchos (circa 160-120 B.C.) was not the
discoverer of the precession of the equinoxes, as is generally supposed, but merely the
publisher of that discovery made by the Egyptians, or perhaps adopted by them from
Chaldaea.
He also states that Apet, Bast, Mut, Sekhet, and Taurt were all titles of one goddess in the
Nile worship, symbolized by gamma ( this star Etamin) Draco.
It is interesting to know that the Boeotian Thebes (Greek Thebes), the City of the Dragon,
from the story of its founder, Cadmus, shared with its Egyptian namesake (Thebes Egypt) the
worship of this star in a temple dedicated, so far as its orientation shows, about 1130 B.C: a
cult doubtless drawn from the parent city in Egypt, and adopted elsewhere in Greece, as also
in Italy in the little temple to Isis in Pompeii. Here, however, the city authorities interfered
with this star-worship in one of their numerous raids on the astrologers, and bricked up the
opening whence the star was observed.
Gamma ( this star Etamin) lies almost exactly in the zenith of Greenwich, in fact, has there
been called the Zenith-star (explained here); and, being circumpolar, descends toward the
horizon, but, without disappearing, rises easterly, and thus explains the poet's line:
"the East and the West meet together."
It was nearer the pole than any other bright star about 4000 years ago. Its minute companion,
21" distant, at a position angle of 152, was discovered by Burnham.

It was one of Al'Awa'id, "the Mother Camels" which was known as the Quinque
Dromedarii. In the Arabic theme for this constellation the stars beta (Alwaid), gamma (this
star Etamin), nu (Kuma) and xi (Grumium) in the Head of the Dragon represent four mother
camels protecting a baby camel from the attack of two hyenas (eta and zeta, Nodus 1). The
nomads camp located nearby (the three unnamed stars in the neck of the Dragon: upsilon, tau,
and sigma).
[Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889].

The astrological influences of the constellation Draco

Legend: Draco represents the dragon that guarded the golden apples in the garden of the
Hesperides. According to other accounts, however, it is either the dragon thrown by the giants
at Minerva in their war with the Gods, or the serpent Python slain by Apollo after the deluge.
[Robson*, p.43.]
Influences: According to Ptolemy the bright stars are like Saturn and Mars. Draco gives an
artistic and emotional but somber nature, a penetrating and analytical mind, much travel and
many friends but danger of robbery and of accidental poisoning. It was said by the Ancients
that when a comet was here poison was scattered over the world. By the Kabalists it is
associated with the Hebrew letter Mem and the 13th Tarot Trump "Death." [Robson*, p.43.]

The astrological influences of the star Etamin

In the "right eye of the Dragon", gamma Draco has a Saturn-Jupiter nature with Martian
influence. According to tradition, the Saturnian predominance will give a liking for solitude.
Good mental concentration. Dishonor and downfall and loss of prestige. Esoteric and
philosophical studies. [Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1928, p.74,
under Ettanin]
References:

Draco Constellation

Draco constellation lies in the northern sky. It is one of the largest constellations in the sky.
The constellations name means the dragon in Latin. Draco represents Ladon, the dragon
that guarded the gardens of the Hesperides in Greek mythology.
Draco is one of the Greek constellations. It was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer
Ptolemy in the 2nd century. It is a circumpolar constellation; it never sets below the horizon
for many observers in the northern hemisphere.
Draco contains several famous deep sky objects, most notable ones being the Cats Eye
Nebula (NGC 6543), the Spindle Galaxy (Messier 102, NGC 5866), and the Tadpole Galaxy.
FACTS, LOCATION & MAP

Draco Constellation Map, by IAU and Sky&Telescope magazine

Draco is the eighth largest constellation in the night sky, occupying an area of 1083 square
degrees.
It lies in the third quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ3) and can be seen at latitudes
between +90 and -15.
The neighboring constellations are Botes, Camelopardalis, Cepheus, Cygnus, Hercules, Lyra,
Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor.
Draco has nine stars with known planets and contains one Messier object, M102 (NGC 5866).
The brightest star in the constellation is Gamma Draconis. There is one meteor shower
associated with the constellation; the Draconids.
Draco belongs to the Ursa Major family of constellations, along with Coma Berenices,
Botes, Camelopardalis, Canes Venatici, Corona Borealis, Leo Minor, Lynx, Ursa Major and
Ursa Minor.

MYTH
The constellation Draco is associated with several myths, most frequently with the one about
the 12 labours of Heracles, represented by the neighbouring constellation Hercules. In the
myth, Draco represents Ladon, the dragon that guarded the golden apples in the gardens of the
Hesperides.

The golden apple tree was a wedding present to Hera when she married Zeus. She planted the
tree in her garden on Mount Atlas and tasked Atlas daughters, the Hesperides, with guarding
it. She also placed the dragon Ladon around the tree so that the Hesperides would not pick
any apples from it.
In some versions of the myth, Ladon had a hundred heads and was the child of the monster
Typhon and Echidna, who was half woman and half serpent. In others, he was the offspring of
two sea deities, Ceto and Phorcys, and there is no mention of the number of heads he had.
As part of his 12 labours, Heracles was asked to steal some golden apples from the tree. He
killed Ladon with his poisoned arrows and took the apples. Saddened by the dragons death,
Hera placed its image in the sky among the constellations. Draco is usually depicted coiled
around the North Pole, with one foot of Heracles on its head.
In Roman mythology, Draco was one of the Giant Titans who warred with the Olympian gods
for ten years. He was killed in battle by the goddess Minerva and thrown into the sky, where it
froze around the North Pole.

MAJOR STARS IN DRACO

Etamin (Eltanin) Draconis (Gamma Draconis)
Gamma Draconis is the brightest star in Draco. It has an apparent magnitude of 2.3617 and is
154.3 light years distant from the solar system. It is sometimes known as the Zenith Star
because it lies close to the zenith point directly overhead in London.
Gamma Draconis is an evolved giant, belonging to the spectral class K5 III. It is 471 times
more luminous than the Sun and has 72 percent more mass. It has a companion with a visual
magnitude of 13.4, likely a red dwarf that may be a physical companion, not just an optical
one.
The stars traditional name, Etamin, comes from the Arabic At-Tinnin, which means the great
serpent.
Etamin is pretty easy to find in the sky. It lies just north-northwest of Vega, the brightest star
in the constellation Lyra.
In about 1.5 million years, the star with pass within 28 light years of Earth, and be the
brightest star in the sky, almost as bright as Sirius is today.
Aldibain Draconis (Eta Draconis)

Draco and Ursa Minor, image: Sidney Hall

Eta Draconis is the second brightest star in Draco. It is a giant star belonging to
the spectral class G8 III with an apparent magnitude of 2.73. It is approximately
92.1 light years distant from the solar system. The stars age is estimated at 550
million years. It is 60 times more luminous than the Sun.

Eta Draconis has a companion located 5.1 arc seconds away, a K2 V-class main sequence star
with a visual magnitude of 8.8. The physical distance between the stars is at least 140
astronomical units, and the two have an orbital period of at least a millennium.
Rastaban Draconis (Beta Draconis)
Beta Draconis, the third brightest star in the constellation, has a visual magnitude of 2.79 and
is about 380 light years distant. It has 40 times the radius of the Sun and about six solar
masses. It is 950 times more luminous than the Sun.
It is a yellow star of the spectral type G2, halfway between the bright giant and supergiant
evolutionary stages (G2 Ib-IIa). The estimated age of Beta Draconis is 67 million years.

Draco constellation, image: Till Credner

The bright giant has a dwarf star for a companion, which makes Beta Draconis a binary
system.
The stars traditional name, Rastaban, comes from the Arabic ras ath-thuban, which means
the head of the serpent.
Altais Draconis (Delta Draconis)
Delta Draconis is a yellow giant star of the spectral type G9 III with an apparent magnitude of
3.07, about 97.4 light years distant from Earth. The stars age is estimated at 800 million
years. It is 59 times more luminous than the Sun.
The stars traditional name, Altais, comes from the Arabic Al Tis, which means the goat.
Aldhibah Draconis (Zeta Draconis)
Zeta Draconis is the fifth brightest star in Draco. It is a giant star of the spectral type B6 III,
with an apparent visual magnitude of 3.17. It is 330 light years distant.
The stars name, Aldhibah, means the hyenas in Arabic. It is also sometimes called Nodus
III, or the Third Knot, referring to a loop in Dracos tail.
Zeta Draconis is 2.5 times larger than the Sun and 148 times more luminous.
Edasich Draconis (Iota Draconis)
Iota Draconis is a giant of the spectral type K2 III, approximately 101.2 light years distant
from Earth. It has a visual magnitude of 3.290. The star has a planet in its orbit, which was
discovered in 2002. This was the first planet discovered to orbit a giant star.

Iota Draconis is slightly more massive than the Sun and has almost 12 times the solar radius.
It is 55 times more luminous. The star is believed to have a debris disk surrounding it.
Batentaban Borealis Draconis (Chi Draconis)
Chi Draconis is a star system composed of a yellow-white, class F7V star with a visual
magnitude of 3.68, almost twice as luminous as the Sun, and an orange, class K0V star with a
magnitude of 5.67. The combined magnitude of the system is 3.570.
The stars form a spectroscopic binary and orbit each other with a period of 280.55 days, with
an average separation of just under an astronomical unit. The Chi Draconis system is 26.3
light years distant.
Batentaban Australis Draconis (Phi Draconis)
Phi Draconis has the stellar classification A0sp and is about 300 light years distant. It has an
apparent magnitude of 4.2004. It cannot be seen in latitudes south of the Tropic of Capricorn.
Phi Draconis is a multiple star composed of hydrogen fusing dwarfs, with the two brighter
components in the system orbiting each other with a period of 307.8 years. The primary
component, Phi Draconis A is an unresolvable binary star.
Thuban Draconis (Alpha Draconis)
For a star with the Alpha designation, Thuban is pretty inconspicuous: it has an apparent
magnitude of 3.6452. A white giant, it belongs to the spectral class A0III and is approximately
303 light years distant. It was the North Pole star from 3942 to 1793 BC. It is 250 times more
luminous than the Sun.
Alpha Draconis can be found by following the line from the inner two stars of the Big Dipper,
Phecda and Megrez (Gamma and Delta Ursae Majoris), which point in its direction. It is about
15 degrees from Megrez.
Thuban is a double star. The main star has a companion, either a red or white dwarf. The two
complete an orbit every 51 days.
The stars traditional name comes from the Arabic thubn, which means the snake.
Grumium Draconis (Xi Draconis)
Xi Draconis belongs to the spectral class K2 III and is 112.5 light years distant. It has an
apparent magnitude of 3.75.
Gianfar (Giausar) Draconis (Lambda Draconis)
Lambda Draconis is a M0 class star 334 light years away, with an apparent magnitude of 4.1.
Tyl Draconis (Epsilon Draconis)

Tyl is a yellow giant of the spectral type G8III, approximately 148 light years distant. It has a
visual magnitude of 3.9974. It is a relatively young star for a G class star, with its age
estimated at 500 million years.
Epsilon Draconis is 60 times more luminous than the Sun. It takes the star about 420 days to
make a complete revolution; its rotational velocity is 1.2 km/s. The main star has a
companion, a class K5 orange dwarf with a visual magnitude of 7.3, located 3.2 arc seconds
away.
Showi Draconis (Kappa Draconis)
Kappa Draconis is a blue giant belonging to the spectral class B6 IIIe, with a visual magnitude
of 3.82. It is approximately 490 light years distant. The star is about five times more massive
than the Sun and 1400 times more luminous.
Kappa Draconis is believed to be entering its red giant stage. It was the closest naked eye star
to the North Pole from 1793 to 1000 BC, but wasnt considered the pole star because Kochab,
Beta Ursae Minoris, was significantly brighter.
Draconis (Theta Draconis)
Theta Draconis is a yellow-white main sequence star of the spectral type F9 V, approximately
68.6 light years away. It is 21 percent more massive than the Sun, has 2.5 times the radius,
and is 8.7 times more luminous. It has a visual magnitude of 4.1190.
Theta Draconis is a very close spectroscopic binary star with an orbital period of 3.0708216
days. It is a fast rotator, with a speed of 28 km/s or more at the equator, which means that it
completes a rotation in less than 4.5 days. The companion is believed to be an M2 class
dwarf.
Draconis (Omicron Draconis)
Omicron Draconis is a giant belonging to the spectral class K2 III. It has a visual magnitude
of 4.62 and is 322.93 light years distant. It is 269 times brighter than the Sun and has 30 times
the radius. It is a spectroscopic binary star.
Omicron Draconis is notable for being the north pole star of Mercury.
Alsafi Draconis (Sigma Draconis)
Alsafi is a main sequence dwarf belonging to the spectral class G9 V. It has an apparent
magnitude of 4.674 and is only 18.77 light years distant from Earth. It is smaller and less
massive than the Sun and has only 43 percent of the Suns luminosity. In 2007, a companion
the size of Jupiter or larger was discovered in the stars vicinity.
42 Draconis
42 Draconis is a giant star of the spectral type K1.5III approximately 320 light years distant. It
has an apparent magnitude of 4.833. In 2009, a super-Jupiter (a gas giant) was discovered in
its orbit.

Kuma Draconis (Nu Draconis)

Nu Draconis is a binary star composed of 1 Draconis and 2 Draconis, two similar white
class A stars separated by 62 arc seconds. The first component is a hydrogen fusing dwarf of
the spectral type A6 and the second component is an A4 class dwarf and has a dimmer, low
mass companion that completes an orbit every 38.6 days.
The system has a combined apparent magnitude of 4.13
Arrakis Draconis (Mu Draconis)
Mu Draconis is another double star in Draco. The system is composed of two F7V class stars
and has a combined apparent visual magnitude of 4.92. It is about 85 light years distant.
Science fiction fans will recognize the star by its traditional name, Arrakis (or Alrakis) from
Frank Herberts Dune series. The name is derived from the Arabic word al-Raqis, which
means the dancer.
26 Draconis
26 Draconis is a triple star system composed of a spectroscopic double star with an orbital
period of 76 years and composite spectral classification G0V. The stars belong to the spectral
classes F9V and K3V. The third star in the system is a red dwarf of the spectral type M1V,
separated from the main pair by 12.2 arc seconds. The three stars share a common proper
motion. They are suspected to be members of the Ursa Major Moving Group. The system lies
some 46 light years from Earth.
BY Draconis
BY Draconis is another multiple star in Draco constellation. It is composed of a close binary
star with components orbiting each other every 5.98 days. The star serves as a prototype of a
class of variable stars called BY Draconis variables. Their variability is a result of activity in
their photosphere called starspots and the rapid rotation that changes the viewing angle of the
activity when the stars are observed from Earth.
The two stars are believed to be pre-main sequence, still in the process of collapsing.
The third star in the system is separated from the main pair by 17 seconds of arc. It is a red
dwarf belonging to the spectral class M5. The system may have a fourth component, but this
has not been confirmed.
Struve 2398 HD 173739/HD 173740 (Gliese 725)
Struve 2398 is another double star, one composed of two red dwarfs (class M3 V and M3.5 V)
both of which show variability common to flare stars. The stars orbital period is 295 years
and they are separated by 56 astronomical units on average. They are a known source of xrays.
Struve 2398 is only 11.52 light years distant. The stars apparent magnitudes are 8.94 and
9.70.

Kepler-10
Kepler-10 is a star very similar to the Sun approximately 564 light years away. It was the first
star identified by the Kepler spacecraft as a possible host to a small transiting exoplanet. The
star has at least two planets in its system. The first, Kepler-10b, is a rocky planet discovered in
January 2011. It orbits the star with a period of 0.8 days. The second one, Kepler-10c, was
discovered in May 2011. It has an orbital period of 42.3 days.
Kepler-10 is a G-class star about 11.9 billion years old, which is 2.6 times the age of the Sun.
It has an apparent magnitude of 10.96 and cannot be seen without optical aid.
GD 356
GD 356 is a white dwarf of the spectral type DC7, approximately 65 light years distant. It has
a visual magnitude of 15.06 and cannot be seen without a telescope. Its estimated age is 2.1
billion years.
The stars spectral classification means that it has a cool, helium rich atmosphere. It is also
classified as a high field magnetic white dwarf (HFMWD).
DEEP SKY OBJECTS IN DRACO

Staring across interstellar space, the alluring Cats Eye Nebula lies 3,000 light-years from
Earth. The Cats Eye (NGC 6543) represents a brief, yet glorious, phase in the life of a sunlike star. This nebulas dying central star may have produced the simple, outer pattern of dusty
concentric shells by shrugging off outer layers in a series of regular convulsions. But the
formation of the beautiful, more complex inner structures is not well understood. Image:
Hubble Space Telescope
Cats Eye Nebula NGC 6543 (Caldwell 6)
The Cats Eye Nebula is a planetary nebula approximately 3300 light years distant from Earth.
It has a visual magnitude of 9.8.
The Cats Eye Nebula is one of the most complex nebulae ever discovered. It was formed
about a thousand years ago, when a bright hot star lost its outer envelope in the red giant
phase.

The central star belongs to the spectral class O7 and is about 10,000 times more luminous
than the Sun.
Because the structure of the nebula is so complex, the central star is suspected to be a binary
star. As a result of a strong stellar wind, it is losing about 20 trillion tons of mass per second
and is currently believed to be only slightly more massive than the Sun.
The nebula was discovered by William Herschel in February 1786. It was the first planetary
nebula to be observed with a spectroscope, by William Huggins in August 1864.

Spindle Galaxy Messier 102 This is a unique view of the disk galaxy NGC 5866 tilted
nearly edge-on to our line-of-sight. Hubbles sharp vision reveals a crisp dust lane dividing
the galaxy into two halves. The image highlights the galaxys structure: a subtle, reddish
bulge surrounding a bright nucleus, a blue disk of stars running parallel to the dust lane, and a
transparent outer halo. Image: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI, AURA)
Spindle Galaxy Messier 102 NGC 5866
The Spindle Galaxy is a spiral or lenticular galaxy discovered in 1781 by either Pierre
Mchain or Charles Messier himself, and then independently discovered by William Herschel
in 1788.
It has an apparent magnitude of 10.7 and is about 50 million light years distant.
It is one of the brightest galaxies in the NGC 5866 group, which also contains NGC 5879 and
NGC 5907, two spiral galaxies discovered by William Herschel.
The galaxy is notable for its extended disk of dust, seen exactly edge-on. The disk, which
might contain a ring-like structure, is an unusual feature for a lenticular galaxy. The galaxy
might also be a spiral galaxy, in which case the dust disk would not be unusual.
Draco Dwarf Galaxy

The Draco Dwarf Galaxy is a spheroidal galaxy in Draco. It has a visual magnitude of 10.9
and is 260,000 light years distant. It belongs to the Local Group and is a satellite galaxy of the
Milky Way, one of the faintest ones.
The galaxy was discovered by the American astronomer Albert George Wilson in 1954. It
contains five carbon stars, four suspected asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, a number of
red giant branch (RGB) stars, and more than 260 variables, all but five of which are of the RR
Lyrae type.
The galaxy is believed to contain large amounts of dark matter.

This image shows the full overview of the galaxy cluster Abell 2218 and its gravitational
lenses. This image was taken by Hubble in 1999 during the Early Release Observations made
immediately after the Hubble Servicing Mission 3A. Image: Andrew Fruchter (STScI) et al.,
WFPC2, HST, NASA
Abell 2218
Abell 2218 is a galaxy cluster in Draco, about 2.345 million light years distant. It contains
thousands of galaxies and a mass equal to 10,000 galaxies.
The cluster was used as a gravitational lens to find the most distant known object in the
universe, a 13 billion year-old galaxy that is seen from Earth as it appeared only 750 million
years after the Big Bang.
Gravitational lensing refers to the phenomenon of the light of the source being bent (or
lensed) as it travels toward the person observing it. In this case, it means that spacetime
around Abell 2218 is curved because the cluster is such a massive object and that rays of light
coming from a background galaxy get bent as they pass through the spacetime. As a result the
image of the background galaxy (or any other background object) can be magnified and
distorted. The lensing effect allows astronomers to study objects that are even more distant
than the cluster.

Seen shining through the Tadpoles disk, the tiny intruder is likely a hit-and-run galaxy that is
now leaving the scene of the accident. Strong gravitational forces from the interaction created
the long tail of debris, consisting of stars and gas that stretch our more than 280,000 lightyears. The galactic carnage and torrent of star birth are playing out against a spectacular
backdrop: a wallpaper pattern of 6,000 galaxies. Image: NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G.
Illingworth (USCS, LO), M. Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team, and
ESA.
Tadpole Galaxy Arp 188
The Tadpole Galaxy is a disrupted (collided) barred spiral galaxy in Draco.
It has a visual magnitude of 14.4 and is about 400 million light years distant from the solar
system.
It is notable for its enormous trail of stars, about 280 thousand light years long.
The galaxy contains a number of clusters of massive, bright blue stars.
The disrupted shape of the galaxy is believed to be a result of gravitational interaction with a
smaller, more compact galaxy, which drew out the stars, dust and gas out of the main body of
Arp 188.
The smaller galaxy is believed to be located about 300 thousand light years behind the
Tadpole Galaxy and can be seen in the picture.
Q1634+706
Q1634+706 is a quasar located in Draco constellation. It is notable for being the most distant
object in the sky that can be seen in an amateur telescope. It has an apparent visual magnitude
of 14.4 and is roughly 12.9 billion light years distant.

NGC 5879, image: Hubble Space Telescope

NGC 6340
NGC 6340 is a spiral galaxy in Draco. It has a visual magnitude of 11.9 and is approximately
52 million light years distant.
NGC 5879
NGC 5879 is a spiral galaxy that is a member of the NGC 5866 Group. It was discovered by
William Herschel in 1788. It has an apparent magnitude of 12.4.
NGC 4319 and Markarian 205
NGC 4319 is a barred spiral galaxy in Draco. It has a visual magnitude of 12.8 and is
approximately 92 million light years distant.
Markarian 205 is a quasar presumably located in the vicinity of the galaxy.

NGC 4319 and Markarian 205, photo: NASA, ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI,
AURA)
In 1971, a luminous bridge was discovered between the two objects using a 5-meter telescope,
but NASA disputed the existence of the bridge in 2002 by posting a photo taken by the
Hubble Space Telescope.
Oddly, the photo does in fact show the bridge, and this has been a cause of debate and
controversy for years now because it contradicts the hypothesis of an expanding universe, as it
invalidates the belief that redshift is always a measure of velocity and distance.
The two objects have very different redshifts. Markarian 205 is believed to be almost 1.2
billion light years from Earth, while NGC 4319 is significantly closer.
If the bridge exists, and photographs show that it does, the two objects could not possibly be
that far from each other.

NGC 4236, image: NASA

NGC 4236
NGC 4236 is a barred spiral galaxy with a visual magnitude of 10.5.
It belongs to the M81 Group, which also contains the famous Bodes Galaxy (Messier 81) and
the Cigar Galaxy (Messier 82), both of which are located in the constellation Ursa Major.
NGC 6503
NGC 6503 is a dwarf spiral galaxy in Draco.
It has an apparent magnitude of 10.2 and is approximately 17 million light years distant.

NGC 6503
It was discovered by the German astronomer Arthur Auwers in July 1854.
The galaxys structure is similar to that of the Milky Way, but it is only about a third of the
size of our galaxy.
NGC 6503 lies in the region of space known as the Local Void, which is a large, empty region
of space next to the Local Group of galaxies.
The void is between 30 and 150 million light years in diameter. It was discovered by
astronomers Brent Tully and Rick Fisher in 1987.
PGC 39058
PGC 39058 is a dwarf galaxy located in Draco.

It is approximately 14 million light years distant and difficult to observe because it is

obscured by a bright star in front of it.

Astronomers are used to encountering challenges in their work, but studying the prosaicallynamed galaxy PGC 39058 proves more difficult than usual. Due to a stroke of bad luck, a
bright star happens to lie between the galaxy and the Earth, meaning our view is partly
obscured by the glare of the star. The astounding image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space
Telescope shows the nearby star easily outshining the more distant galaxy PGC 39058. The
galaxy is about 14 million light-years away and contains millions of stars many of them
not unlike the bright star in the foreground. Image: ESA, Hubble & NASA

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