When is the best time to observe Athebyne?

Athebyne is best observed from April through June, with peak visibility during May when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is Athebyne located in the sky?

Athebyne lies in the constellation Draco at right ascension 16h 24m and declination +61° 31′.

What telescope do I need to split Athebyne?

Splitting Athebyne requires an aperture of roughly 100 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 4.7″ at magnitudes near 2.7. The companion is about 5.5 magnitudes fainter, so glare from the primary — not separation — sets the minimum aperture. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

Athebyne — Double Star in Draco

HIP 80331; Eta Draconis; 14 Draconis

Magnitude 2.7^m DoubleStar Draco (Dra) Visible

Star Map + List + Plan

About Athebyne

Description

Eta Draconis is a yellow giant of spectral type G8IIIab at magnitude 2.74 in Draco. Located about 92 light-years from Earth, it has a luminosity of roughly 60 times solar. It lies in the body of the Dragon, between the head (marked by Eltanin) and the long, winding tail.

Observing Tips

Eta Dra lies in the body of Draco, which winds between the Big and Little Dippers. It is circumpolar from mid-northern latitudes. Its warm yellow color is apparent in binoculars. The constellation Draco requires dark skies to trace its full serpentine form. Best placed high in summer evenings.

History

Eta Draconis has no widely used traditional name. Draco is one of the oldest constellations, recognized since Babylonian and Egyptian times. Around 2800 BC, the star Thuban (Alpha Dra) was the pole star, making the entire constellation more prominent.

Fun Facts

Eta Dra is one of the brightest stars in Draco's long, winding body, which extends nearly 180 degrees across the northern sky — from the head near Vega all the way around the Little Dipper to the tail between the Big and Little Bears.

Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 2.74

Spectral Type G8III-IV giant

Star Color Orange (B-V 0.91)

Distance 92 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 16h 23m 59.5s

Dec +61° 30' 51.0"

Constellation Draco (Dra)

HR 6132

HIP 80331

HD 148387

SAO 17074

Bayer Eta

Flamsteed 14 Dra

Double Cat 10058

SIMBAD Wikipedia

3How easy to split?

Primary 2.7 mag Companion 8.2 mag Separation 4.7″

Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	V. hard+	V. hard+	V. hard+
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	Hard+	Hard+	Hard+
Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm	Medium	Medium	Medium

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

4Visibility

Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.

Best season Apr – Jun (peak: May)

5Multiple Star System Triple D,F: optical

Components 3 (triple)

Component IDs ABxC

Separation 4.7″

Companion Mag 8.2

Companion Sp K1V

Position Angle 142°

Star Colors A: Orange C: Orange

Discoverer STT 312

Separation over time

Measured 1843 → 2016 (173 y)

Separation drift 4.4" → 4.7" (+0.30")

Rate +0.0017" / y

PA drift 150° → 142° (-8°, -0.046°/y)

Essentially fixed on human timescales — the same view your grandchildren will see.

Measured from the WDS observational archive. No orbital solution has been derived — most likely the period is too long to fit an orbit to the available measurement arc.