Due to its pretty tangerine color, the double star SAO 18395 in Draco should have its own name. For me, I’ll call this double star Tangerine Dream. 1
Actually, this 6th magnitude tangerine/orange-colored primary star is a red giant more than 40 times the size of our sun! The secondary 8th magnitude star lies nearly 75 arcseconds away, which is far enough for observers to see this double easily. Nearby lies another double star, Σ 2554 also known as SAO 18402.
My Observations
| Date | June 26, 2021 |
| Time | 11:30 p.m. |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Magnification | 85x |
| Scope | Meade 8″ SCT |
| Eyepiece | 24mm |
| Seeing | Average |
| Transparency | Above Average |
This is a better double than the “average” ones I see on any given night. The primary has a strong red hue, while the secondary is dimmer with a bluish-white tint. This pair also lies in a pretty starfield. It appears there may be another double below it in my eyepiece.
Follow-up note: After researching other online observations, I’ve confirmed there is another double star system in the lower right. It is Σ 2554 also known as SAO 18402.
Key Stats
| Constellation | Draco |
| Best Viewing | Late Spring |
| Visual Magnitude | +6.3 | + 8.2 |
| Absolute Visual Magnitude | -1.2 |
| Distance from Earth | 1000 ly |
| Separation | 75″ | 23000 AU |
| Orbital Period | Unknown |
| Milky Way Location | Orion Spur |
| My Viewing Grade | A |
Sources and Notes
Banner: Photo by David Ritter and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Sketch by Wayne McGraw
1 Credit to the authors of Star Splitters for observing the primary star as tangerine in color. I agree. Citation: Draco. Star-Splitters. (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2022, from https://bestdoubles.wordpress.com/category/4-choose-a-constellation/draco/
AKA: SAO 18395, Σ I 44, STFA 44, HIP 96164, HR 7448, HD 184396
The Garden Astronomer 