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Northern•Dra
Draco
Draco
Description
Draco winds between the two Bears. Thuban was the pole star 5,000 years ago when the Egyptian pyramids were built. The dragon's head forms a recognizable quadrilateral.
Mythology and History
Draco represents Ladon, the hundred-headed dragon that guarded the golden apples in the garden of the Hesperides. It was killed by Heracles in his eleventh labor.
How to Observe
Circumpolar from mid-northern latitudes. The head is near Vega. The body winds around Ursa Minor.
Main Stars
Eltanin
Brightest star • mag 2.23
Rastaban
Thuban
Kuma
Grumium
Quick Facts
Brightest starEltanin
Magnitude2.23
Area1083 square degrees
Best seasonYear-round
HemisphereNorthern
TypeNorthern