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A Complete Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky
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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
sleep NighttimeWhat's Visible Now?
All Constellations » 

Cygnus (The Swan) Constellation

Altitude: 43.7°   Azimuth: 72.1°   Direction: East-North-East

Cygnus (pronounced ˈsɪɡnəs) is the Latin name of a large constellation (in fact it extends itself for about 40 degrees across the sky) situated north of the celestial equator. As such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere.

In English language this constellation is also known as "The Swan" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Cyg" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Cygn" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Cygni" (pronounced ˈsɪɡnaɪ) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Cygni (the brightest star of Cygnus based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Cygni (the 23th star in the constellation of Cygnus based on the Flamsteed catalog).

Cygnus is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt. Altitude: 44°.
Available Resources for Cygnus

Sky Chart of Cygnus Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Cygnus constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Cygnus in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Chart of  constellation
This constellation image is derivatve work based on original work by IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) CC-BY-3.0.

Visibility of Cygnus Constellation

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Cygnus is circumpolar and transits at 08:41 UTC (altitude: 81.3°)

The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations (like Cygnus actually is) these times can have little relevance.

Bright Stars in Cygnus Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Cygnus constellation. See also the complete list of 290 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Cygnus. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR7924 α Cygni Deneb 1.25 Variable; Double;
HR7796 γ Cygni Sadr 2.2 Variable; Multiple;
HR7949 ε Cygni Aljanah 2.46 Multiple;
HR7528 δ Cygni Fawaris 2.87 Variable; Multiple;
HR7417 β1 Cygni Albireo 3.08 Variable; Multiple;
HR8115 ζ Cygni 3.2 Multiple;
HR8079 ξ Cygni 3.72 Variable;
HR8130 τ Cygni 3.72 Variable; Multiple;
HR7328 κ Cygni 3.77 Variable;
HR7735 31 Cygni 3.79 Variable; Multiple;
HR7420 ι2 Cygni 3.79
HR7615 η Cygni 3.89 Variable; Multiple;
HR8028 ν Cygni 3.94
HR7751 32 Cygni 3.98 Variable; Double;
HR7834 41 Cygni 4.01 Variable;
HR8252 ρ Cygni 4.02 Variable;
HR7942 52 Cygni 4.22 Double;
HR8335 π2 Cygni 4.23
HR8143 σ Cygni 4.23 Variable;
HR7564 χ Cygni 4.23 Variable; Double;
...go to the complete list of 290 bright stars in the constellation of Cygnus

(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.

Deep Sky Objects in Cygnus Constellation

The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Cygnus constellation. See also the complete list of 90 deep sky objects in the constellation of Cygnus. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 7000 (North America Nebula) HII Ionized region 4 (B)
Messier 39 Open Cluster 4.6 (V)
NGC 6871 Open Cluster 5.2 (V)
Messier 29 Open Cluster 6.6 (V)
NGC 6811 Open Cluster 6.8 (V)
NGC 7063 Open Cluster 7 (V)
NGC 6995 Supernova Remnant 7 (B)
NGC 6992 Supernova Remnant 7 (B)
NGC 6960 (Veil Nebula) Supernova Remnant 7 (B)
IC 5146 (Cocoon Nebula) Star Cluster + Nebula 7.2 (V)
NGC 7082 Open Cluster 7.2 (V)
NGC 6819 (Foxhead Cluster) Open Cluster 7.3 (V)
IC 4996 Open Cluster 7.3 (V)
NGC 6910 Open Cluster 7.4 (V)
NGC 6888 (Crescent Nebula) HII Ionized region 7.44 (B)
NGC 6866 Open Cluster 7.6 (V)
NGC 7039 Open Cluster 7.6 (V)
NGC 6834 Open Cluster 7.8 (V)
...go to the complete list of 90 deep sky objects in the constellation of Cygnus