I've seen several places on the Web where it indicates that Alpha Draconis = Thuban was almost exactly at the North Celestial Pole about 2700 BC, and then a couple of sites that give a later date. I'm on the edges of an argument on another board with a guy who makes A Very Big Deal of Thuban being the pole star - really the pole star - at the time the Great Pyramid was built. Does anyone know of a place in the primary literature where the actual date of closest approach is documented? I suppose that maybe I could calculate it out myself, but that would likele require me to fire up neurons I haven't used since 1967.....

According to James Kaler, Thuban was almost exactly at the pole in 2700 B.C. and remained the closest star to the pole until around 1900 B.C., when it was succeeded by Kochab.

I agree. According to SkyWatch, Thuban was half a degree off in 2700BC.

According to Burnham's Celestial Handbook, it was closest around 2830 BC.

Messing about with Starry Night, I find that it was closest in 2799 BC.

Polaris is about 42' 52'' from the pole. Thuban was closer than that between 2923 BC and 2673 BC.

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Voyager III agrees with the above info.

C.

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