Starship Asterisk*

geckzilla wrote:
Clearly, it's Atreyu's Luck Dragon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Characters_of_The_Neverending_Story#Falkor_the_Luck_Dragon wrote:
<<Falkor (Fuchur in German) is a Flying Dog like Luck Dragon and friend of Atreyu and Bastian. He is the only flying dog to appear, although five others are mentioned in passing. He helps Atreyu in his quest to find a cure for the Empress after escaping the web of Ygramul the Many.

Falkor has an elongated, winged body with rudimentary paws and pink scales and hairs on the length of his body that appear white in dull light. He seems to like children based on what he says in the first movie. The form of his head is described less precisely, though his eyes are mentioned as being the colour of rubies. In the color illustrations of the original German version he appears much like an Oriental dragon. A cover for the book by Dan Craig illustrated Falkor as lion-like, while in the 1984 film adaptation of the novel, as well as its sequels, Falkor has distinctive canine features. Additionally, in both the first and second movies, Falkor asks to be scratched behind his ear, which are very big, accenting his dog-like appearance.

Unlike most of their dragon kin, flying dog possess neither an immense physical strength, nor great magical talents, though they can still breathe fire, which is blue, as shown when Falkor fights Ygramul. Their only distinctive ability that sets them apart is their incredible luck in everything they do, as shown at one point in the novel when Falkor manages to locate and rescue his companion despite being lost in a violent, blinding storm and having absolutely no idea where to look for him. A flying dog's typical answer to how it is going to accomplish a nearly impossible feat is always "With luck!" Despite such carelessness, it seems their luck truly never fails and is a valuable asset for their companions.

Another special trait of flying dogs is the ability to fly despite the fact that they have no wings. It is explained in the book that flying dogs are beings made from fire and air. When in flight a flying dog is in constant motion and literally swims through the air. Flying dog never stop taking in air and heat through their scales, which makes eating unnecessary and makes water deadly to them if they are immersed in it for more than a few minutes. Flying dogs are capable of sleeping while flying, and prefer to have as much open space as possible rather than be cooped up in a building, regardless of how spacious it may be.>>

timmy wrote:It looks to me like a dragon head, in the year of the dragon. Funny how our perceptions effect how we see the world

R&EHusky wrote:Clearly this is Falkor the flying luck dragon from The Neverending Story.

ta152h0 wrote:If I may continue on the subject of todays APOD and see animals portrayed in the nightsky, I submit today's astronomers would name these constellations somewhat differently, based on today's surroundings. Such as " 69 Torino Cobrajet " constellation, oh yes, I see the " Eiffel Tower " nebula, " the Great Wall of China " peculiar galaxy.....