Star profile
Albireo B
Beta 2 Cygni · Cygnus
Hot blue starWhat is Albireo B
Albireo B is the blue component of the famous double system Albireo, at the beak of the Swan. Beside orange Albireo A she forms one of the most beautiful colour contrasts visible through a small telescope: gold and sapphire in a single glance. At 400 light-years, this second star supplies the cool tone of a duo that no astronomy book fails to mention.
Where it is and when to see it
Albireo B lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is July, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 66° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 77° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 28° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 62° S.
It ranks no. 54 in brightness among the 137 stars of Cygnus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Deneb, the brightest: it lies about 22° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 400 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Albireo B
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works
We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.
A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Albireo B
- Constellation
- Cygnus
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.12
- Distance
- 399.8 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 292.689° · Dec 27.965°
- Catalogue
- HIP 95951 · HD 183914
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.
- DenebAlpha Cygni1.25
- SadrGamma Cygni2.23
- AljanahEpsilon Cygni2.48
- HIP 968255.06
- 26 Cygni5.06
- 75 Cygni5.09
- 35 Cygni5.14
- 23 Cygni5.14