The Constellation Cygnus, the Swan
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Cygnus
Cygnus, the Swan, is also known as the Northern Cross because of its
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.
Deneb is a bright, blue supergiant star, very young as stars go.
Albireo, the bill of the swan, is actually two stars which show a
spectacular amber and blue contrast. Cygnus is also sprinkled with a
variety of nebulae, including the North American Nebula and the Veil Nebula.
The identity of Cygnus is uncertain. He could be Zeus in the guise in
which he seduced Leda, the mother of Helen of Troy. 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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