Draco

Draco, or the Dragon, is a constellation in the northern hemisphere. It was first charted by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. In ancient Egypt, the constellation was called Tawaret, after the vigilant, protective goddess of the northern sky, whose body was depicted as part-human, part-lioness, part-crocodile and part-hippopotamus.

The constellation Draco occupies an area of 1083 square degrees and contains five stars with known planets. It can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -15° and is best visible at 9 p.m. during the month of July. For many observers in the northern hemisphere, Draco never sets below the horizon.

The brightest star in the constellation is [3438] gamma Draconis or Eltanin ("the serpent"), an orange giant 148 light-years distant. It lies close to the point directly over London and is sometimes called the "zenith star."

[3445] alpha Draconis or Thuban ("the basilisk") is not a very conspicuous star in comparison. It is a binary star consisting of a white giant with an apparent magnitude of 3.65, more than 300 light-years away from Earth, and a companion that is believed to be either a red or white dwarf. In ancient times, between the years 3942 and 1793, Thuban was the pole star, the closest visible star to the North Pole. It will reclaim that status in the year 20346.