Draco, the dragon:
An ancient constellation which represents nearly every dragon mentioned
in history. The most famous story involving Draco tells that he
was the dragon that Hercules had to defeat in order to possess the
Golden Apples of Hesperides. Draco is also regarded as the dragon
who guarded the Golden Fleece, and the dragon that the goddess Athena
defeated when the Olympian gods fought the Titans. Athena grabbed
the dragon's tail and threw it into the sky, where it became twisted
around the the northern pole of the sky. Draco is a long constellation,
but contains few bright stars. It is located between Ursa Major
and Ursa Minor (Big and Little Dippers). Its location makes it circumpolar,
so it never sets below the northern horizon.
|