Cygnus+-+Sarah+Gonzales

Sarah Gonzales April 22, 2015 Professor Jeff Adkins Astronomy 010 Section 0047  Cygnus (Final Draft) The constellation ‘Cygnus’ (or sometimes referred to as the ‘Northern Cross’) was first recorded by Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century (Chantry, 2009). The name ‘Cygnus’ comes from the Latin word meaning ‘Swan’. The constellation’s origins itself are often associated with a number of Greek myths that, in one way or another, involve swans. But it is uncertain which myth the constellation refers to. A common Greek myth that is often associated with Cygnus is the tale of Zeus, who had disguised himself as a swan and seduced Leda, the wife of King Tyndareus. Another myth that is associated with ‘Cygnus’ is the tale of Orpheus who, after his death, was transformed into a swan and placed in the sky beside his lyre. Cygnus could also represent the story of ‘Cycnus’, a son of Poseidon who was cared for as an infant by a Swan and then later choked to death by Achilles and turned into a swan himself by his grieving father. Despite the //Greek// myths, the constellation ‘Cygnus’ was not known as ‘//Cygnus//’ to the Greeks. The constellation was instead known as and referred to as ‘//Ornis//’ (birds). It was the Romans who had given the constellation the name ‘Cygnus’, using the numerous swan-related myths as a way to explain the constellation’s name (Dibon-Smith, 1996-2014). The Chinese had known the constellation as the ‘Que Qiao’, the Magpie Bridge. The Myth surrounds the story of two lovers, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, who were separated by the goddess of heaven. Zhi Nu was a fairy, and because of her status, she was forbidden to be with a mortal man. When the heaven Goddess learned that Zhi Nu and Niu Lang had gotten married, she took Zhi Nu and created a river in the sky to keep the two lovers from one another (the river being the Milky Way in this story). Nui Lang gathered his son and his daughter and followed Zhi Nu to heaven so they may be together. The Goddess, not the slightest bit touched by Nui Lang’s love, kept the river where it was, forever keeping the two lovers away from each other. In the myth, it is said that once every year, magpies from all around the world would gather together and form a bridge over the river so the lovers may be together once more (ENOM, INC, 2010).  (University of Manchester, 2008)  The constellation Cygnus goes across 804 square degrees of one of the “richest areas of the Summer Milky Way” and has several interesting objects within it (Deprest, 2001). The first of few that I will mention is (α)-Deneb (Alpha Cygni), a blue-white supergiant. Deneb’s name comes from //dhanab// meaning ‘tail’ from the Arabic phrase //Dhanab ad-Dajājah// (tail of the hen)//.// It is the brightest star in Cygnus and has the apparent magnitude of 1.25 and absolute magnitude of -7.0. In the Chinese myth of Zhi Nu and Nui Lang, Deneb can either represent the ‘bridge’ or a fairy that ‘chaperones’ the two lovers when they are reunited each year (ENOM, INC, 2010). Another is (γ)-Sadr (Gamma Cygni), the ‘star’ that can be found at the juncture of the constellation. Its name comes from //sadr//- the Arabic word “the chest” but it can sometimes be referred to by its Latin name, //Pectus Gallinae.// Satr is classified as a supergiant and is surrounded by diffuse emission nebula. The star is believed to be about 12 million years old with the mass of “twelve solar masses and the radium 150 times solar” (ENOM, INC, 2010). Because of its mass, it consumes its nuclear fuel at much faster rate- it’s on the fast track to die. The fifth brightest star in the constellation Cygnus, β-Albireo (Beta Cygni), is a single binary star system that “appears as a single third magnitude star to the naked eye” (ENOM, INC, 2010). The Albireo star(s?) represents the ‘beak’ or head of the ‘swan’. It is a yellow star (Albireo A with an apparent magnitude 3.18) with a blue ‘companion’ star (Albireo B with an apparent magnitude 5.82). Then there is (ε)-Gienah (Epsilon Cygni). Gienah’s name comes from the Arabic word for ‘the wing’ – janāħ. Gienah is an ‘orange giant star’ with the apparent magnitude of 2.480 and is said to be ‘11 times luminous than the Sun’ (ENOM, INC, 2010). Lastly, there is the ‘Veil Nebula’, a heated and ionized cloud of gas located within the Cygnus constellation. It is a “remnant of an ancient supernova covering (roughly) 3 degrees of sky” (Ghosh, 2010).

Work Cited Page

Chantry, Joanne "Cygnus." //Constellation on Top Astronomer//. UK Astronomy Society, 2009. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <[] __> __

“Cygnus”. Digital image. //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics School of Physics and Astronomy //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">. University of Manchester, 02 Oct. 2008. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. < <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">>

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Deprest, Mark S. "Constellation of the Month: Cygnus, The Swan." //Constellation of the Month: Cygnus, The Swan. University of Michigan//, July 2001. Web. 04 May 2015. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;"> < []>

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dibon-Smith Richard "Cygnus." //Cygnus//. 1996. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <[]>

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">ENOM, INC "Cygnus Constellation." //Constellation Guide//. N.p., 29 Dec 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <[]>

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ghosh, Anurag. "History of Cygnus Constellation, Brightest Star in Cygnus & Other Facts on the Constellation." //Bright Hub//. Ed. Jason C. Chavis. N.p., 12 Nov. 2010. Web. 05 May 2015. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"><[]>