Draco (constellation)
Constellation | |
Abbreviation | Dra |
---|---|
Genitive | Draconis |
Pronunciation |
|
Symbolism | the 8th) |
Main stars | 17 |
Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 76 |
Stars with planets | 19 |
Stars brighter than 3.00m | 3 |
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 7 |
Brightest star | γ Dra (Eltanin) (2.24m) |
Messier objects | 1 |
Meteor showers | Draconids |
Bordering constellations | |
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −15°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of July. |
Draco is a
from northern latitudes, meaning that it never sets and can be seen at any time of year.Features
Stars
There are three stars above magnitude 3 in Draco. The brighter of the three, and the brightest star in Draco, is
Draco is home to several double stars and binary stars.
R Draconis is a red Mira-type variable star with a period of about 8 months. Its average minimum magnitude is approximately 12.4, and its average maximum magnitude is approximately 7.6. It was discovered to be a variable star by Hans Geelmuyden in 1876.[5]
The constellation contains the star recently named Kepler-10, which has been confirmed to be orbited by Kepler-10b.
Deep-sky objects
One of the
There are several faint
Draco also features several
Q1634+706 is a quasar that holds the distinction of being the most distant object usually visible in an amateur telescope. At magnitude 14.4, it appears star-like, though it is at a distance of 12.9 billion light-years. The light of Q1634+706 has taken 8.6 billion years to reach Earth, a discrepancy attributable to the expansion of the universe.[4]
The Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall, possibly the largest known structure in the universe, covers a part of the southern region of Draco.
Mythology
Draco (also known as
Draco was identified with several different
The
Traditional Arabic astronomy does not depict a dragon in modern-day Draco, which is called the Mother Camels. Instead, two hyenas, represented by Eta Draconis and Zeta Draconis are seen attacking a baby camel (a dim star near Beta Draconis), which is protected by four female camels, represented by Beta Draconis, Gamma Draconis, Nu Draconis, and Xi Draconis. The nomads who own the camels are camped nearby, represented by a cooking tripod composed of Upsilon, Tau, and Sigma Draconis.[17] However Arabic astronomers also knew of the Greek interpretation of the constellation, referring to it in Arabic as At-Tinnin (التنين, 'the dragon'), which is the source of the formal name of Gamma Draconis, Eltanin, from raʾs al-tinnīn ('the head of the dragon').[18]
Meteor showers
The October
The
Namesakes
The main character in the 1996 film Dragonheart gets his name from this constellation. The film also reveals that Draco is actually a dragon heaven, where dragons go when their time in this world is complete, if they have upheld the oath of an ancient dragon to guard mankind, with dragons otherwise fading into nothing upon their deaths. At the conclusion of the film, Draco, the last dragon, ascends into the constellation after he sacrifices himself to destroy an evil king.[citation needed]
The
Draco Malfoy, an antagonist in the Harry Potter series, is named after the constellation as well.[23]
See also
- 3C 319
- Draco (Chinese astronomy)
- Draco Supercluster
- List of the star names in Draco
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f Ridpath & Tirion 2001, pp. 142–143.
- ^ Staal 1988, pp. 239–240.
- ^ a b "Naming Stars". IAU.org. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ^ a b c d e
French, Sue (July 2012). "By Draco's Scaly Folds". Sky & Telescope. 124 (1): 56. Bibcode:2012S&T...124a..56F.
- ^ MacRobert, Alan (July 2012). "The Rise of R Draconis". Sky & Telescope. 124 (1).
- ^ a b Wilkins & Dunn 2006.
- ^ Frommert, Hartmut (October 2018) [May 1995]. "Messier 102. An article on the controversy". messier.seds.org. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- doi:10.1086/126754
- ^ Boutsikas 2011, p. 307.
- ^ Thomas L. Heath, Greek Astronomy (1932), p. 118.
- ^ Hyginus De Astron. 2.3
- ^ a b c Staal 1988, p. 237.
- ^ Aelius Aristides, Panathenaicus 13.189.4–5
- ^ a b Boutsikas 2011, pp. 307–308.
- ^ Boutsikas 2011, p. 308 n. 14.
- ^ Ian Ridpath. "Star Tales – Draco". Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ Staal 1988, p. 239.
- ^ Kunitzsch, P., “[1]”, in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition (2012)
- ^ ISBN 9781316257104.
- .
- ^ Jenniskens, Peter (September 2012). "Mapping Meteoroid Orbits: New Meteor Showers Discovered". Sky & Telescope: 24.
- ISBN 0-940685-92-2.
- ^ "The Harry Potter characters named after constellations". Pottermore.
References
- Boutsikas, Efrosyni (2011). "Astronomical Evidence for the Timing of the Panathenaia". American Journal of Archaeology. 115 (2): 303–309. .
- Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (2001), Stars and Planets Guide, Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-08913-2
- Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (2007). Stars and Planets Guide. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-13556-4.
- Staal, Julius D.W. (1988). The New Patterns in the Sky. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-939923-04-5.
- Wilkins, Jamie; Dunn, Robert (2006). 300 Astronomical Objects: A Visual Reference to the Universe. Firefly Books. ISBN 978-1-55407-175-3.
External links
- The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Draco
- The clickable Draco
- Star Tales – Draco
- Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (ca 160 medieval and early modern images of Draco)