Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Cygnus (Cyg)  ·  Contains:  34 Cyg)  ·  34 P Cyg  ·  Crescent Nebula  ·  LBN 203  ·  LBN 206  ·  LBN 209  ·  LBN 212  ·  LBN 215  ·  LDN 879  ·  NGC 6888  ·  Permanent nova (P Cyg  ·  Sh2-105  ·  The star Revenant of the Swan  ·  VdB130
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Revenant of the Swan, Larry S
Powered byPixInsight

Revenant of the Swan

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Revenant of the Swan, Larry S
Powered byPixInsight

Revenant of the Swan

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

Near the centerline of Cygnus (the Swan) constellation lies the familiar Crescent NGC 6888. Below and to the left in this view is a variable star 34 Cygni (or P Cygni) also known as the Revenant of the Swan.

The star is an irregular variable and has, over the past 500 years, shown major brightening. Because of its variability and extreme outbursts in the 17th century, the star was thought to be a recurring nova. Presumably it was named the 'Revenant of the Swan' because it exhibited a repeated and unexpected return to life after multiple deaths or novae. (Credit Jodrell Plank Observatory). It lies about 6000 light years from Earth.

It is a class B2 supergiant between 500,000-900,000 time the Sun's luminosity. It is one of the most luminous stars in our galaxy. P Cygni belongs to a rare group of starts called "luminous blue variables". Eruptions of blue variables include ejection of vast amounts of matter. It is surrounded by a faint blue nebula created by the past 900 years of eruptions and mass loss. It will eventually become a supernova or hypernova.

Comments

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

Revenant of the Swan, Larry S

In these public groups

Takahashi FSQ 85 EDX
Cloudy Nights