CYGNUS
One of the most prominent constellations in the night sky, and one of the most involved and eventful regions of space, the Cygnus constellation and its surrounds are fascinating, and a worthwhile talking point for many a topic. Occupying an area of 804 square degrees, Cygnus is the 16th largest constellation in the night sky; it lies in the fourth quadrant of the northern hemisphere, with right ascension at 20.62, and declination at +42.03: in other words, if you were in the northern hemisphere and stood outside about an hour after sunset, you’d see it almost directly above you.
Cygnus is Latin for ‘swan’, and has various mythological tales connected to it: the most widely known, perhaps, is one of Greek mythology, where Zeus disguised himself as a swan to seduce Leda, the wife of Spartan king Tyndareus, who later gave birth to the Gemini (Castor and Pollux), Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. To celebrate the births, Zeus is said to have placed the swan among the stars. The Greeks also associated this constellation with the story of Phaethon, son the sun god Helios, who demanded to ride his …show more content…
Some of the most imposing figures in the constellation are the bodies that make up the asterism the Northern Cross (and in the case of Deneb, one third of the Summer Triangle). Although Cygnus itself is sometimes referred to as the Northern Cross, much like Crux in the south is known as the Southern Cross, the constellations actually contain more stars than those forming the asterisms: the Northern Cross follows Cygnus’ shape, but appears as if the swan has had its wings ‘clipped’, as it were. More distinct, and larger than its southern counterpart by far, the Northern Cross is pieced together from five major stars: Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma and Epsilon Cygni, otherwise known as Deneb, Albireo, Rukh, Sadr and Gienah,
One of the most prominent constellations in the night sky, and one of the most involved and eventful regions of space, the Cygnus constellation and its surrounds are fascinating, and a worthwhile talking point for many a topic. Occupying an area of 804 square degrees, Cygnus is the 16th largest constellation in the night sky; it lies in the fourth quadrant of the northern hemisphere, with right ascension at 20.62, and declination at +42.03: in other words, if you were in the northern hemisphere and stood outside about an hour after sunset, you’d see it almost directly above you.
Cygnus is Latin for ‘swan’, and has various mythological tales connected to it: the most widely known, perhaps, is one of Greek mythology, where Zeus disguised himself as a swan to seduce Leda, the wife of Spartan king Tyndareus, who later gave birth to the Gemini (Castor and Pollux), Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. To celebrate the births, Zeus is said to have placed the swan among the stars. The Greeks also associated this constellation with the story of Phaethon, son the sun god Helios, who demanded to ride his …show more content…
Some of the most imposing figures in the constellation are the bodies that make up the asterism the Northern Cross (and in the case of Deneb, one third of the Summer Triangle). Although Cygnus itself is sometimes referred to as the Northern Cross, much like Crux in the south is known as the Southern Cross, the constellations actually contain more stars than those forming the asterisms: the Northern Cross follows Cygnus’ shape, but appears as if the swan has had its wings ‘clipped’, as it were. More distinct, and larger than its southern counterpart by far, the Northern Cross is pieced together from five major stars: Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma and Epsilon Cygni, otherwise known as Deneb, Albireo, Rukh, Sadr and Gienah,