Schwan
Swan (Cygni)
Cygnus, the Swan, is one of the most beautiful and recognizable constellations in the summer and autumn sky. Also known as the 'Northern Cross' due to its distinctive shape, it appears to fly southward along the Milky Way. The constellation's brightest star, Deneb, is one of the most luminous stars visible to the naked eye and forms one corner of the famous Summer Triangle asterism.
📜 Mythologie
Cygnus has multiple origin stories in Greek mythology. The most popular tells of Zeus transforming into a swan to seduce Leda, Queen of Sparta. From this union, Leda gave birth to two eggs - from which hatched Helen of Troy and the twins Castor and Pollux. Another myth identifies the swan as Orpheus, the legendary musician who was transformed into a swan after his death and placed in the sky next to his lyre (Lyra).
💡 Fakten
- ✦Deneb is one of the most luminous stars known, approximately 200,000 times brighter than our Sun
- ✦Cygnus X-1, located in this constellation, was one of the first widely accepted black hole candidates
- ✦The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and Pelican Nebula lie within the constellation's boundaries