The Constellation Cygnus, the Swan
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Cygnus
Cygnus, the Swan, is also known as the Northern Cross because of its
distinctive shape. The tail of the swan is marked by the bright star
Deneb, Arabic for "tail".
Three fainter stars cross the line between Deneb and the head of the
swan, Albireo. Cygnus flies southward along the summer
Milky Way,
and into the Summer Triangle.
The tail and bill of the swan are both magnificent stellar sights.
Deneb is a bright, blue supergiant star, very young as stars go.
Albireo, the bill of the swan, is actually two stars which exhibit a
spectacular amber and blue (one might even say "maize and blue")
contrast. Cygnus is also sprinkled with a variety of nebulae,
planetary, diffuse and dark. The North American Nebula is located
just a few degrees east of Deneb, and is named for it's resemblance to
the North American continent. The Veil Nebula, an ancient supernova
remnant, can also be found in Cygnus, several degrees south of the
eastern wing.
The identity of Cygnus is uncertain. He could be Zeus in the guise in
which he seduced Leda, the mother of Helen of Troy. Possibly the swan
is Orpheus, transformed and set in the sky to be near his harp. In
one myth, Cygnus is a friend of Phaethon, the son of Apollo, the Sun
god. Phaethon fell into the river Eridanus, trying to drive the
sun-gods chariot. Cygnus dove repeatedly into the water to search for
Phaethon. Out of pity, Zeus turned the boy into a swan.
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