Why was it so important to them? And why isn’t it important now? Compared to the nearby stars of the Big Dipper, its stars were relatively faint, even to the ancients. Sadly, the star and its parent constellation are nearly invisible from our contemporary, light-polluted skies. A cooking tripod composed of four more stars nearby collectively represents them.ĭraco was a significant constellation to the ancients, partly because of a star called Thuban, which the ancient Egyptians fervently worshiped. The nomads who own the camels are oblivious to the threat. Four female camels, represented by four other stars in the constellation, protect the babe. Two of Draco’s stars represent hyenas that are attacking a baby camel. Ancient Arabic astronomers saw a tableau of creatures they called Mother Camels. Of course, not everybody sees a dragon in Draco’s somewhat chaotic assembly of stars. Also, its serpentine curves are a bit more convoluted than most constellations. As a result, the constellation is spread out over a substantial patch of sky. Polaris forms the end of the handle of the Little Dipper, which curves straight upward from Polaris just after dark.ĭraco coils above and around the Little Dipper. Look straight north, about halfway up the sky, and you’ll see Polaris, the North Star. (“Just after dark” means 11 PM, of course. These days, few of us would recognize it if it fell out of the sky and hit us on the noggins.ĭraco is easy to find, even though its stars are not exceptionally bright. Some sort of dragon appears in the myths and legends of every significant ancient civilization. Four or five millennia ago, the constellation Draco, the Dragon, was in its prime.
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