DRACO (" the

See also:

• DRAGON (Fr. dragon, through Lat. draco, from the Greek; connected with SEpeoµay " see," and interpreted as " sharp-sighted "; O.H. Ger. tracho, dracho, M.H.G. trache, Mod. Ger. Drachen; A.S. draca, hence the equivalent English form " drake," " fire-drake,

Dragon ")  , in astronomy, a constellation of the northern hemisphere, mentioned by Eudoxus (4th century B.C.) and Aratus (3rd century B.e.); it was catalogued by Ptolemy, 31 stars, Tycho Brahe, 32, Hevelius, 40 . The Greeks had many fables concerning this constellation; one is that when Heracles killed the dragon guarding the Hesperian fruit Hera transferred the creature to heaven as a reward for its services . The planetary nebula H . IV . 37 Draconis is of a decided pale blue colour, and one of the most conspicuous objects of its class .