✧ Draco

  Draco is an asterism in Draco.

                                       ⢀·
                                      ⢀⡞
                                      ·
                                      ⡇
                ·⡀   ·               ⢰⠃
                 ·⠤⠤⠤·⡀              ⢸
                 ⠸⡄   ⠹⣄            ⢀·
                  ⣇    ⠘·⡀         ⣠⠏
                  ⢸      ⠹⣄       ⡴⠃
                  ⠈⡇      ⠘•⡀  ⣀⡤·⠁
                   ·⡀       ⠙·⠋⠁
                  ⢰⠃⠙·
                  •⠤⠤•

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Draco
  Stars           15

  More information about Draco

  Draco has no bright star, but it is very long, curling up between the
  Big Dipper and the Little Dipper and then round to a small head of four
  stars near Vega. Thuban, in the dragon's tail, was the pole star when
  the Egyptian pyramids were built. The Earth's axis does not point in a
  fixed direction but slowly traces out a circle over about 26,000 years,
  so the title of pole star passes from one star to another, and around
  3000 BC it was Thuban's turn. The name is the Greek δράκων, and it comes
  in turn from δέρκομαι, "to watch" or "to stare", so the dragon is not
  the one that breathes fire but the one that keeps its eyes on you.

  Etymology
  From        Latin, from Greek
  Reading     drakon  ·  δράκων
  Literally   the one that stares

  The evolution of Draco over time

  -50,000 years
  
                                                                     ⡀
                                                                    ⣰· Gianfar
                                                                   ⢠⠃
                                                                  ⢠⠃
                                                                  ·
                                                ⣀⡠·              ⢸⠁
                               · Tyl     ⢀⣀⠤⠴⠒⠋⠉                 ⡏
                               ⣇    ⣠·⡒⠚⠉⠁                      ⢰⠁
                               ⢸⣠⠔⠒⠉  ⠙⢄                        ⡎
                               ⠈·      ⠈⠣⡀                     ⣰· Thuban
                         Altais ⠘⡄       ⠑⣄  Aldhibain       ⢀⠔⠁
                                 ⢳        ⠈·⣀               ⢠⠎
                                  ⢧         ⠈⠣⣄            ⡰⠁
                                  ⠘⡄           ⠓⣄        ⢀⠜⠁
                                   ⠹⡀           ⢸•     ⢀⠴· Edasich
                                    ⢧  Grumium  ⢸   ⢀⡠⠚⠁
                                   ⡠⠎·⠦⣄        ⢸ ⣀⠔⠋
                                 ⢀⡞⠁  ⢀⡴·       ⠧⠊⠁
                         Eltanin •⠈⠉⠉⠉•         ·
                                        Rastaban
  
  now
  
                                                                     ⢠
                                                                    ⢠⠃· Gianfar
                                                                   ⣰⠃
                                                                  ⢰·
                                                                  ⡜
                                                                 ⢀⡇
                          Tyl ·⡀      ⢀                          ⢸
                               ⢇   ⣀⣀⣠⡞·                         ⡞
                               ⠸·⠉⠉   ·⢦                        ⢀⠇
                         Altais ⢣       ⠑⣄                     ⢀⠞· Thuban
                                ⠈⡆       ⠈⢢⡀  Aldhibain       ⣠⠊
                                 ⢸⡀        ⠑·⡀               ⡴⠃
                                  ⢇          ⠈⠢⣀           ⢀⠜
                                  ⠘⡄           ⠈⠑⢤⡀       ⢠⠏
                                   ⢱             •⠈⠢⣄⢀⣀⠤⠔⠒· Edasich
                            Grumium ⣇⡀               ·
                                   ⢰·⠑⢦⡀
                                  ⢠⠇   ·
                          Eltanin •⠤⠤⠤⠤• Rastaban
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
                                                                     ⢠· Gianfar
                                                                    ⣠⠃
                                                                   ⡰⠁
                                                                  ⢀·
                                                                  ⢸
                              ⡄                                   ⡸
                          Tyl ·⡀                                  ⡇
                        Altais ·⣤⣤⣤⣤⠤⠤·⡀                         ⢰⠁
                              ⠈·⡆      ⠑⢆                        ⡸
                                ⢱        ⠳⡀                     ⡼· Thuban
                                ⠈⡆        ⠘⢆  Aldhibain       ⢀⠜
                                 ⢸          ·⢄⡀              ⣠⠃
                                  ⣇           ⠈⠲⢤⡀  ⣀⡠⠤⠒⠊·  ⡰⠃
                                  ⢸⡀             ⠈•⠉      ⢇⡜
                                   ⢇                      · Edasich
                           Grumium ·⢦
                                   ⡎⠈·⡀
                                   ⡇  ⠱⡀
                                  ⢀⣇⣀⡠⠤⠵• Rastaban
                                   • Eltanin

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 2%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 11.0 degrees. Gianfar, HR 4787, Thuban, HR 6554, Grumium, Eltanin,
  HR 6927, Altais and Tyl drift the opposite way to the other 6, which travel together. Proper
  motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Draco/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Draco