Draco

Draco is a large but not particularly prominent constellation which snakes its way around the north celestial pole, encircling Ursa Minor on three sides. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy

The name ‘Draco’ is Latin for ‘dragon’, and is identified as the dragon employed by Zeus’ wife Hera to guard a tree on which golden apples grew. Among the labors of Hercules, one of the tasks set to the hero was to slay the dragon and steal the apples.

In the Greek Mythology, There are several ancient stories which could be about Draco the Dragon, but the one which best seems to fit with Greek mythology is the story about Cadmus and the Dragon of Thebes. According to this story, Zeus had stolen the young woman Europa from her home country of Phoenicia. Her father ordered her brother Cadmus to go and search for her, and not return until he had found her and brought her back with him. Cadmus wandered over the whole world looking for Europa, but could not find her. He knew he would never find her because no one can find someone that Zeus has hidden. He decided to look for a country in which to build his city, Thebes, because he knew he could never return to his home in Phoenicia. Following Apollo’s advice, Cadmus found a suitable site to build his new city. However, while searching for water, Cadmus’ attendants were killed by a large dragon. Cadmus went to fight this dragon, and upon finding the dragon in a cave, was able to kill it with his spear. Cadmus was told by Minerva to plant the dragon’s teeth in the ground. From these teeth grew warriors who fought each other until only five were left. With these five, Cadmus was able to build his city of Thebes, and they became its first residents. Because Draco had been so faithful in guarding the caves and their contents, Zeus placed his constellation in the northern sky, where, because his constellation never sets, he can guard all the treasures of Zeus.

It is appropriate, then, that Draco is placed alongside Hercules in the sky, and is usually depicted with the demigod standing with one foot on the beast’s head.

Despite its size – it is the sixth-largest constellation – Draco contains few objects of interest. It lies well away from the plane of the Milky Way, and so has few bright deep sky objects. One exception is the planetary nebula NGC 6543, also designated as C 6 in the Caldwell catalogue.

In the Indian system, Draco is also called, ಸುಯೋಧನ (Suyodhana)

Draco contains:

 

• Stars
  • Eltanin (mag 2.2)
  • η-Dra (mag 2.7)
  • Rastaban (mag 2.8)
  • Altais (mag 3.1)
  • ζ-Dra (mag 3.2)
  • Edasich (mag 3.3)
  • χ-Dra (mag 3.6)
  • Thuban (mag 3.6)
  • Grumium (mag 3.7)
  • λ-Dra (mag 3.8)
  • κ-Dra (mag 3.9)
  • HD (mag 3.9)
  • θ-Dra (mag 4.0)
  • φ-Dra (mag 4.2)
  • HD 81817 (mag 4.3)
  • τ-Dra (mag 4.5)
  • ρ-Dra (mag 4.5)
  • ψ-Dra (mag 4.6)
  • π-Dra (mag 4.6)
  • CU Dra (mag 4.6)
  • O-Dra (mag 4.6)
  • σ-Dra (mag 4.7)
  • d-Dra (mag 4.8)
  • ω-Dra (mag 4.8)
  • υ-Dra (mag 4.8)
• Open Clusters
  • IC 4762
• Globular Clusters
  • None
• Galaxy
  • NGC 4236 (mag 9.7)
  • NGC 4125 (mag 9.7)
  • NGC 5866 (mag 9.9)
  • Messier 102 (mag 10.0)
  • NGC 6503 (mag 10.3)
  • NGC 5907 (mag 10.4)
  • NGC 3147 (mag 10.6)
  • NGC 6340 (mag 11.0)
  • NGC 5982 (mag 11.1)
  • NGC 6643 (mag 11.1)
  • NGC 6015 (mag 11.1)
  • NGC 5906 (mag 11.4)
  • NGC 5879 (mag 11.5)
  • NGC 6654 (mag 11.6)
  • NGC 6412 (mag 11.8)
  • NGC 4750 (mag 11.8)
  • NGC 5908 (mag 11.9)
  • NGC 4589 (mag 12.0)
  • NGC 5678 (mag 12.1)
  • NGC 3735 (mag 12.4)
  • NGC 4648 (mag 12.6)
  • NGC 4386 (mag 12.6)
  • NGC 6689 (mag 12.6)
  • NGC 6140 (mag 12.6)
  • NGC 6359 (mag 12.6)