T Draconis (abbreviated T Dra) is a carbon-rich Mira variable star located in the constellation Draco.
The star's carbon-rich atmosphere produces a spectrum dominated by carbon-bearing molecular features. Its red appearance is caused by its cool, carbon rich atmosphere.
Location and identification T Draconis is located in the northern circumpolar constellation of Draco, positioned at the celestial coordinates of right ascension and declination (J2000 epoch). Based on parallax measurements from the Gaia space observatory, the star is situated approximately 3,200 light-years (980 parsecs) away from Earth.
As a long-period Mira variable, the star's apparent magnitude fluctuates dramatically over a period of roughly 422 days. At its peak brightness (maximum magnitude ~7.2), it can be resolved using standard binoculars under dark skies. At its faintest (minimum magnitude ~13.5), it dims significantly, requiring a moderate-to-large aperture amateur telescope to detect.
T Draconis is readily identified through visual astronomy by its intense, ruby-red or charred-orange coloration. This extreme index is a hallmark of highly evolved carbon stars, whose outer atmospheres are rich in carbon molecules (such as C2 and CN) that heavily absorb short-wavelength blue light. In the eyepiece, it forms a prominent visual double with UY Draconis—an 11th-magnitude white-yellow star.
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