Star profile
Deneb
Alpha Cygni · Cygnus
Variable starWhat is Deneb
Deneb marks the tail of Cygnus the Swan and is one of the most distant beacons the unaided human eye can perceive: a blue-white supergiant of type A whose light has been travelling for 1,412 years to reach us. The photons arriving tonight left its surface when the Eastern Roman Empire still flourished and Charlemagne had not yet been born. Its name, «Al-Dhanab» in medieval Arabic, means precisely «the tail», and it forms one corner of the Summer Triangle alongside Vega and Altair.
Where it is and when to see it
Deneb lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is one of the brightest stars in the sky: visible even from a city. Its best month of the year is August, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it never sets and culminates about 84° up.
- From New York it culminates about 85° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 11° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 45° S.
It is the brightest of the 137 stars of Cygnus in our catalogue, which makes it the best starting point for finding your way around the constellation.
The light you see today left it about 1,400 years ago.
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Astronomical data for Deneb
- Constellation
- Cygnus
- Apparent magnitude
- 1.25
- Distance
- 1412.1 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 310.358° · Dec 45.280°
- Catalogue
- HIP 102098 · HD 197345
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Cygnus
Cygnus has 137 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- SadrGamma Cygni2.23
- AljanahEpsilon Cygni2.48
- FawarisDelta Cygni2.86
- AlbireoBeta 1 Cygni3.05
- Zeta Cygni3.21
- Xi Cygni3.72
- Tau Cygni3.74
- Iota 2 Cygni3.76