61 CYGNI
MULTIPLE STAR

Right Ascension:
21h 06m 55s

Best Seen:
7/1 - 12/15

Declination:
38º 44' 45" Combined
Magnitude:
4.79

Computer File:
cyg61

Constellation:
Cygnus

Apparent
Separation: 33"

Actual

Compared to

Distance

11.35 / 11.42 l.y.

--

Separation

411 billion miles

4420 Earth/Sun

Orbital Period

700 years?

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Actual Brightness

--

0.08 / 0.04 (Sun)

Magnitude

5.2 / 6.05

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Mass

--

--

Surface Gravity

--

--

Surface Composition (by mass)

74% hydrogen 24% helium 2% everything else

same (Sun)

Spectral Type

K5 V / K7 V

G2 V (Sun)

Density (gram/cubic cm)

--

--

WHAT TO LOOK FOR THROUGH THE TELESCOPE:

  1. Recommended eyepiece: 24mm or 40 mm.

  2. When people look through the telescope they should see two stars next to each other. In this case the two stars should be about the same brightness.

61 CYGNI INFORMATION:

  1. Both of these stars are smaller and fainter than the sun.

  2. This object was the first star to have its parallax measured. This was done in 1838 by German astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel.

  3. Because the stars are so far apart, they take many years to orbit each other – perhaps as many as 700 years.

Item
Updated Notes

Coordinates 08-19-2002
OK

Combined Magnitude: 08-19-2002
with Scott’s The Flamsteed Collection

Apparent Separation:
08-19-2002
61 Cyg A: 21h 06m 53.9s, 38d 44' 57.9" 61 Cyg B: 21h 06m 55.2s, 38d 44' 31.4" solve with 1s = 15", and Pythagorean Theorem – ~ 33"

Distance:
08-19-2002
from Scott’s The Flamsteed Collection

Separation: 08-19-2002
0.07 ly

Orbital Period
11-22-2002
see other information

Actual Brightness:
08-19-2002
from Scott’s The Flamsteed Collection

Magnitude:
08-19-2002
from Scott’s The Flamsteed Collection

Mass

Surface Gravity

Surface Composition 01-06-2003
OK for all stars

Spectral Type:

Density

Other information
08-19-2002
Item 2: http://www.dibonsmith.com/cyg_con.htm