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Thuban
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Thuban

star
Also known as: Alpha Draconis

Learn about this topic in these articles:

use as polestar

  • The precession of the equinoxes.
    In polestar

    …is Polaris (α Ursae Minoris); Thuban (α Draconis) was closest to the North Pole about 2700 bce, and the bright star Vega (α Lyrae) will be the star closest to the pole in 14,000 ce. The location of the northern polestar has made it a convenient object for navigators to…

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  • Star trails over banksia trees, in Gippsland, Vic., Austl. The south celestial pole, located in the constellation Octans, is at the centre of the trails.
    In astronomical map: The celestial sphere

    …time the pyramids were built, Thuban in the constellation Draco served as the pole star, and in about 12,000 years the first-magnitude star Vega will be near the north celestial pole. Precession also makes the coordinate systems on precise star maps applicable only for a specific epoch.

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