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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".
Older names
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.