Draco - The DragonLearn about the constellation Draco - The Dragon, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.
The star Thuban (α Draconis) was the northern pole star around 2700 BC, during the time of the ancient Egyptians. Due to the effects of precession, it will once again be the pole star around the year 21,000 AD.
Location: Northern Circumpolar 15h RA 75° Dec
One of the deep-sky objects in Draco is the Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543), a planetary nebula that is said to look like a blue disc. There are several faint galaxies in Draco, one of which is the lenticular galaxy NGC 5866, sometimes considered to be the missing Messier Object 102.
Draco Mythology
In the most famous of the myths, Draco represents Ladon, the hundred-headed dragon that guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides. The eleventh of The Twelve Labours of Heracles was to steal the golden apples. Herakles killed Ladon with a poisoned arrow, allowing him to freely take the golden apples.
Draco Deep Space Objects
One of the deep-sky objects in Draco is the beautiful Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543)
In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.
| # | Image | Common Name | Constellation | Month | Coords | Direction | Mag | Size (arcmin) | Type | Star Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C3 NGC 4236 | Draco | Apr | 12h 16.7m RA +69° 28m Dec | Z | 9.70 | 21.9x7.2 | Spiral Galaxy | 🔍︎ | ||
| C6 NGC 6543 | Cats Eye Nebula | Draco | Aug | 17h 58.6m RA +66° 38m Dec | N | 9.00 | 20 | Planetary Nebula | 🔍︎ | |
| M102 NGC 5866 |  | Spindle Galaxy | Draco | Apr | 15h 06.5m RA 55° 45m Dec | NE | 10.70 | 4.7x1.9 | Galaxy | 🔍︎ |
More Constellations
| Northern Circumpolar | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camelopardalis | Cassiopeia | Cepheus | Draco | Lacerta | Ursa Major |
| Ursa Minor |
| Northern Spring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antlia | Boötes | Cancer | Coma Berenices | Crater | Hydra |
| Leo | Leo Minor | Virgo |
| Northern Summer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquila | Corona Borealis | Cygnus | Delphinus | Equuleus | Hercules |
| Libra | Lyra | Ophiuchus | Sagitta | Scutum | Serpens |
| Vulpecula |
| Northern Autumn | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andromeda | Aquarius | Aries | Capricornus | Pegasus | Pisces |
| Triangulum |
| Northern Winter | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auriga | Canes Venatici | Canis Major | Canis Minor | Cetus | Eridanus |
| Gemini | Lepus | Lynx | Monoceros | Orion | Perseus |
| Taurus |
