Constellations

A series of seven bright stars and several dimmer stars Cygnus is a beautiful swan soaring through the night sky.

Mythology

Throughout Greek Myth, Cygnus or the swan has been connected to multiple legends. Throughout Greek Myth, Cygnus or the swan has been connected to multiple legends.

1. Zeus disguised himself as a swan and sneak down to earth to seduce women including Spartan King Tydareus's wife, Leda. Who then had Gemini, Helen (of Troy) and Clytemnestra.

2. Orpheus was transformed into a swan after being killed

3. King Cygnus was said to have been transformed into a swan.

4. In Ovid's Metamorphoses,

There are three people named Cygnus, all of whom are transformed into swans.

A boy from Tempe who commits suicide when Phyllius refuses to give him a tamed bull that he demands, but is transformed into a swan and flies away.

A son of Neptune who is an invulnerable warrior in the Trojan War who is eventually defeated by Achilles, but is saved by Neptune who transforms him into a swan.

Other Notable Bodies

Alpha Cygni or Deneb- Is the brightest star in Cygnus. With a magnitude of about 1.3, about 3200 light-years away. Its traditional name means "tail" and refers to its position in the constellation.

Albireo or Beta Cygni- Is a binary star. The primary is an orange-hued giant star of magnitude 3.1 and the secondary is a blue-green hued star of magnitude 5.1.

Gamma Cygni or Sadr- Is a of magnitude 2.2, 1500 light-years away. Its traditional name means "breast" and refers to its position in the constellation.

Delta Cygni- A binary star, around 171 light-years with a period of 800 years. The primary is a blue-white hued giant star of magnitude 2.9, and the secondary is a star of magnitude 6.6. The two components are divisible in a medium-sized amateur telescope.

Gienah or Epsilon Cygni- It is an orange-hued giant star of magnitude 2.5,

Pictures

Sources

http://www.umich.edu/~lowbrows/guide/cygnus.html

http://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/cygnus-constellation/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cygnus_%28constellation%29

Star Myths of the Greeks and Romans By Theony Condos