read the question above....
2007-03-26 16:05:17 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Draco is the latin word for Dragon.
However, the story of the Dragon is from Greek Mythology (and probably borrowed from more ancient mythology).
When the Great Bear and the Small Bear were placed in the sky by Zeus (representing his lover and her child), jealous Hera placed a Dragon between the mother bear and her cub, forcing her to continuously circle the pole trying to go around the dragon in order to reach her cub.
However, it is unclear which mythical dragon. Each region of Greece had legends of dragons. One dragon attacked Athena (daughter of Zeus) during the war with the Titans. One was killed by Cadmos when he founded Thebes. One guarded the Golden Fleece (killed by Jason); another guarded the golden apples and was killed by Hercules (Herakles, in Greek). I vote for the latter, simply because the head of the dragon is near the constellation 'Hercules'. But that is my own preference.
The Arabic name for the constellation is Thuban. It is the name we (non-arabics) give to a star of the constellation (Alpha Draconis). It is not the brightest star in the constellation (in other constellations, alpha is used for the brightest star); It got the letter alpha because Thuban was the pole star 4800 years ago.
The brightest star (gamma Draconis) has the arab name Eltanin, which means serpent. Maybe some arabs saw the constellation as a serpent instead of a dragon.
In Sumer (3000 BC), the constellation represented the goddess Tiamat.
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There is a planetary nebula called Cat's eye (M102) in the constellation Draco. It is not visible without a telescope and the name Cat's eye, which applies only to the nebula, not the constellation, is relatively recent.
2007-03-26 16:17:02 · answer #1 · answered by Raymond 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
one is the Dragon
another is the Cat's Eye Nebula
2007-03-26 23:13:21 · answer #2 · answered by kale_ewart 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it just means the dragon
2007-03-26 23:12:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the dragon
2007-03-26 23:07:28 · answer #4 · answered by ecolink 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋