Cygnus constellation
Latin Cygnus, genitive Cygni, abbreviation Cyg
North up, east to the left, as you see the sky. The lines are a common figure; the stars are from the catalogue.
The myth
Zeus in the shape of a swan. Its cross of stars flies high along the Milky Way in summer and autumn, which is why it is also called the Northern Cross. Its tail star Deneb is so far away that it ranks among the most luminous suns the naked eye can see. At its beak stands Albireo, in binoculars a pair of a golden and a blue star.
When can Cygnus be seen?
It stands highest around 10 pm in August. It can be seen from everywhere north of 39°S, and it never sets north of 62°N.
The brightest stars
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deneb | α Cyg | 1.25 | white |
| Sadr | γ Cyg | 2.20 | yellow |
| Aljanah | ε Cyg | 2.46 | orange |
| Fawaris | δ Cyg | 2.87 | bluish |
| Albireo | β1 Cyg | 3.08 | orange |
| – | ζ Cyg | 3.20 | yellow |
| – | ξ Cyg | 3.72 | reddish |
| – | τ Cyg | 3.72 | yellowish white |
The smaller the number, the brighter: below 1 are the brightest stars of the sky, 4 is hard to see under a city sky. Greek letters after Johann Bayer (1603).