Bob Drieslein

If you think the scientists and engineers named a $16 billion telescope after someone whose accomplishments were really, really important to the science of astronomy, you’d be right!

Wrapped around Polaris and the Little Dipper in our northern sky is a group of 17 or so so stars that make up the constellation Draco, Latin for “dragon.”
Being so close to Polaris and the north celestial pole, Draco is one of the circumpolar constellations meaning that it never sets below the horizon and can be seen all year long.

As of March 25, 2025, NASA reported that there are 421 officially recognized moons orbiting planets in our Solar System, including the dwarf planet Pluto.

Not one of the more well-known of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy in the 2nd Century, none of its stars are brighter than fourth magnitude making it a challenge to see except in a really clear, dark sky. A good pair of binoculars might come in handy here.

Spica is the brightest star in Virgo and one of the 20 brightest stars in our night sky. It’s also one of the easiest to find. If you recall from previous articles, we can follow the arc of the handle of the Big Dipper to the star Arcturus and then “on to Spica.

One thing that has definitely changed is our ability to see what’s out there through advancements in space travel, telescopes and, of course, the Internet.