The protecting Mother Camels (Arabic العوائذ ''alʽawaʼid'') is an asterism in the constellation of

Draco Draco is the Latin word for serpent or dragon. Draco or Drako may also refer to: People * Draco (lawgiver) (from Greek: Δράκων; 7th century BC), the first lawgiver of ancient Athens, Greece, from whom the term ''draconian'' is derived * ...

described by ancient Arabic nomadic tribes. The asterism was interpreted as a ring of mother camels –

Beta Draconis Beta Draconis, a name Latinized from β Draconis, is a binary star system and the third-brightest star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Draco. The two components are designated Beta Draconis A (officially named Rastaban , the ...

(Rastaban),

Gamma Draconis Gamma Draconis (γ Draconis, abbreviated Gamma Dra, γ Dra), formally named Eltanin , is a star in the northern constellation of Draco. Contrary to its gamma-designation (historically third-ranked), it is the brightest star in Draco at m ...

(Eltanin),

Nu Draconis Nu Draconis (also known as ν Dra, ν Draconis, or traditionally as Kuma ) is a double star in the constellation Draco. The respective components are designated ν1 Draconis and ν2 Draconis. The second component is a spectroscopic bin ...

(Kuma) and

Xi Draconis Xi Draconis (ξ Draconis, abbreviated Xi Dra, ξ Dra) is a double or binary star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Draco. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 3.75. Based upon parallax measurements, it is located at a distance ...

(Grumium) – surrounding a foal (the faint star Alruba), with another mother camel,

Mu Draconis Mu Draconis (μ Draconis, abbreviated Mu Dra, μ Dra) is a multiple star system near the head of the constellation of Draco. With a combined magnitude of 4.92, it is visible to the naked eye. Based on parallax estimates by the ...

(Alrakis) running to join them. The Arabs did not see the constellation Draco as it is now. The Mother Camels were protecting the foal from the attack of two wolves or jackals –

Zeta Draconis Zeta Draconis (ζ Draconis, abbreviated Zet Dra, ζ Dra) is a binary star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Draco. With an apparent visual magnitude of +3.17, it is the fifth-brightest member of this generally faint constellati ...

(Aldhibah) and

Eta Draconis Eta Draconis (η Draconis, abbreviated Eta Dra, η Dra) is a binary star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Draco. Despite having an apparent visual magnitude of only +2.73, it is the second-brightest star in this generally fain ...

(Athebyne). The faint pair

Omega Draconis Omega Draconis, Latinized from ω Draconis and also known as 28 Draconis, is a binary star in the constellation of Draco. The system is fairly close, and is located about 76 light-years (23 parsecs) away, based on its parallax. Omega Dra ...

and 27 Draconis was known as the "wolf's claws" (الأظفار الذئب ''al-ʼaẓfār al-dhiʼb'').

References

{{Reflist Draco (constellation)