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Latest comment: 11 years ago1 comment1 person in discussion
...may have been the constellation Draco. At about 4000 BCE the Pole Star was Thuban - the 'Heart' of the Dragon Draco.`
The tales of the 'slaying of the dragon' may relate to early astronomers noticing that the celestial North Pole had migrated (due to precession of the Earth) away from the heart of the dragon into a space without stars. From 3942 BC until 1793 BC it was the star that was closest to True North - an invaluable aid for travelers.Tadchem (talk) 14:41, 16 May 2012 (UTC)Reply