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Beta Draconis




It is a yellow giant or supergiant of Spectral Class G4 with an Apparent Magnitude of 2.79. Its distance from the Sun is somewhere between 310 and 490 Light Years .

It is a Binary Star , designated ADS 10611 as such, orbited by a Dwarf companion once every four Millennia or so.

The traditional name, from the Arabic phrase ''ra's ath-thu'ban'' ("head of the serpent") is less commonly written Rastaben, and has also been used for the star Gamma Draconis . Rastaban is also known as '''Asuia''' and '''Alwaid''', the latter meaning "who is to be destroyed," though some trace it to Arabic ''al'awwad'' ("the lute player"). It is part of the Asterism of the Mother Camels (Arabic ''al'awa'id''), which may have influenced this alternate name.

Coordinates (equinox 2000)


REFERENCES

  • Dibon-Smith, Richard (1992). ''StarList 2000: A Quick Reference Star Catalog for Astronomers''. New York: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-55895-8

  • Kaler, Jim (2004). "STARS: Rastaban" . Retrieved July 11, 2005.

  • Wright, Anne (2003). "The Fixed Stars: Alwaid" . Retrieved July 11, 2005.