The Stars of Harry Potter
Dec 14, 2026, 6:45 PM ET<a href="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/stars-of-harry-potter?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/stars-of-harry-potter?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223">smithsonianassociates.org…</a>
In the blockbuster book series Harry Potter , author J. K. Rowling gave wizard Sirius Black (Harry's godfather) the name of the brightest star in the nighttime sky. And who can forget the nefarious Draco Malfoy, Harry's Hogwarts nemesis? Fittingly, the constellation Draco is a serpent-like dragon that wraps around Polaris, the North Star. Follow Sky & Telescope 's J. Kelly Beatty in a bit of whimsy as he explores the true nature of the celestial objects made famous by their literary namesakes.