Draco, the Dragon, is a long northern constellation that winds between the Great and Little Bears, its head a lozenge of stars near the bright star Vega.
At a glance
| stars in the figure | 15 |
|---|---|
| nearest star of the figure | Chi Draconis, 26.3 light-years (8.06 pc) |
| farthest star of the figure | Kappa Draconis, 490 light-years (150 pc) |
| depth | the farthest is 19 × farther than the nearest |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Draco
Draco is an ancient Greek constellation, often identified with the dragon that guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides. Its tail runs between the two Bears and its body loops round the pole of the ecliptic. Thuban, in the tail, was the pole star when the early pyramids of Egypt were built, before the wobble of Earth’s axis carried the pole away.
The dragon’s head is a lozenge of four stars, Eltanin, Rastaban, Grumium and Nu Draconis. Watching Eltanin, James Bradley discovered the aberration of starlight, a slight shift caused by Earth’s motion. Within the figure lie the Cat’s Eye Nebula, the shell of a dying star, and the Draco Dwarf, a small satellite galaxy. From mid-northern latitudes the dragon never sets.
What you see in the piece
Flown out to, the dragon’s coils separate: Chi Draconis is a near neighbour, while Kappa Draconis lies far deeper, and the winding line becomes a scatter in depth.
Questions
Was Thuban once the pole star?
Yes. Earth’s axis slowly wobbles, and in ancient Egypt the north celestial pole lay close to Thuban in Draco rather than to Polaris.
How far away are the stars of Draco?
They range from Chi Draconis, 26.3 light-years (8.06 pc), to Kappa Draconis, 490 light-years (150 pc): the farthest is 19 × farther than the nearest.