Fixed star:  KUMA
Constellation:  Nu (ν) Draco
Longitude 1900:  08SAG54 Longitude 2000:  10SAG20
Declination 1900:  +55.15' Declination 2000:  +55.11'
Right ascension:  17h 32m Latitude:  +78.08'
Spectral class:  A8 Magnitude:  5.0

The history of the star: Kuma

[A scanned copy can be viewed on this webpage]


Nu (ν) Draco, Kuma, is a star in the mouth of the Dragon.

Some have translated Kuma to mean "At Last". It was one of Al'Awa'id, "the Mother Camels" which was known as the Quinque Dromedarii, already mentioned in connection with beta (β Alwaid), gamma (γ Etamin), mu (μ Arrakis) and xi (ξ Grumium). In the early Arabic theme for this constellation these stars in the Head of the Dragon represent four mother camels protecting a baby camel from the attack of two hyenas (eta η and zeta ζ Nodus 1). The nomads camp located nearby (the three unnamed stars in the neck of the Dragon: upsilon, tau, and sigma).

Another figure that included nu was Al Salib al Waki', "the Falling Cross", beta (Alwaid) and xi (Grumium) forming the perpendicular, gamma (Etamin), mu (Arrakis), and nu (this star Kuma) the transverse.


The astrological influences of the constellation Draco



