Draco – The Dragon

Draco is one of the 88 constellations within the celestial sphere.

Draco is one of the 42 constellations that represents an animal.

Symbolism: Draco is also known as ‘The Dragon’

 

History & Mythology

Draco has been known by many different cultures and represents many different things for these cultures throughout history. In Greek mythology, Draco represents the Dragon that was killed by Hurcules as one of this 12 labours. Draco is not a particularly bright or prominent constellation in the night sky, however the constellation is made of many double stars that can be seen by standard telescopes and even binoculars.

 

Key Data

Bordering Constellations: Draco is bordered by constellations Hercules, Ursa Major & Ursa Minor.

Sky Chart #: 1.

Star Raking: 8th largest constellation in the celestial sphere. 

Main Stars: Draco consists of 14 main stars.

Brightest Star: Gamma.

 

Kids Fun Facts Corner

# 1. Gamma is the brightest star in the Draco constellation. The star is more popularly known as Etamin or Eltanin.

# 2. Draco can be seen all year round in the northern hemisphere.

# 3. The Cats Eye nebula is a deep sky object that can be seen from Draco.

 

Q&A Corner

Q. What is Draco known as?

Q. How many main stars does Draco have?

Q. What is the brightest star in Draco?

Q. From what hemisphere can Draco be seen all year round?

Q. What number star ranking is Draco in the celestial sphere?

 Download questions about the Draco Constellation here: Draco (answers are on this page)

Teachers. For more in depth work sheets on constellations. Click on Kidskonnect Worksheets  

For further reading and more information on the Draco Constellation visit www.solarsystemquick.com/draco