The cloud around the star P Cygni
Click on image for star map
NASA, Hubble Space Telescope
P Cygni - One of the Hottest Supergiants in the Galaxy
| What's in a name |
|
|
Claim to Fame: |
One of the brightest distant stars in the galaxy.
Remarkable wind blowing off a portion of the outer atmosphere.
Losing mass at the rate of 1 solar mass every 10,000 years.
Variable star with apparent visual magnitude ranging from 3 to 6
(the eye can see to apparent magnitudes of 5 or 6 on a moonless night).
|
|
Type of Star: | Rare Blue Supergiant (B1 Iae Spectral Class) |
| How Far Away: |
About 6300 light years |
| How Big: |
Roughly 76 times the size of the Sun |
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How Bright: | On average, about 750,000 times as luminous as the Sun
|
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Where to View: | Located in the constellation Cygnus,
the Swan (Star Map).
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When to View: | Cygnus is best viewed June - November from the northern hemisphere
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