Earthsky Tonight—July 4, Draco the Dragon on July evenings
At nightfall tonight, the starlit Eyes of Draco the Dragon peer down upon you from almost overhead. Their names are Eltanin and Rastaban.
Earthsky Tonight—June 4: Rastaban and Eltanin belong to constellation Draco
The stars within constellations are not connected, except in the mind’s eye of stargazers. The stars in general lie at vastly different distances from Earth. It is by finding juxtaposed…
Earthsky Tonight—June 3: See Draco the Dragon and a former pole star
First, find the Big Dipper high in the north on June evenings. The two outer stars in the Dipper’s bowl point to Polaris, the North Star, which marks the end…
Earthsky Tonight—June 2: Little Dipper, Clipped wings of Draco the Dragon
According to the Greek geographer and historian Strabo (63 B.C. to A.D. 21?) these seven stars did not make up Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper) until 600 B.C. or so.…