The Perseids aren’t the only meteor shower in town this August — it’s also time for the Kappa Cygnids! Peaking August 18, you may see meteors radiating from the constellation Cygnus.

There’s no better time to check out the stars and deep-sky objects in the constellation if you’re located in the Northern Hemisphere, so join us in this week’s challenge as we turn our eyes toward Cygnus.

Cygnus the constellation appears as a majestic swan gliding through the night sky. Swans figure prominently in Greek mythology, and the constellation dates back at least to the time of Ptolemy in the 2nd century A.D. The most prominent pattern in Cygnus is the five stars that make up the Northern Cross.

Cygnus, Latin for swan, is visible June through December in the Northern Hemisphere, peaking in summer. It’s low on the horizon, but still visible in much of the Southern Hemisphere at that time.

Stars in Cygnus

Image captured by Unistellar eVscope user David Rowe (United Kingdom)

Image captured by Unistellar eVscope user David Rowe (United Kingdom)

Cygnus is home to many notable stars, including:

Albireo, the famous double star — one yellow and one blue
Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus and the top of the Northern Cross
Sadr, the middle of the cross, is a supergiant star with a yellow-white hue
Aljanah, a multiple star system located close in the sky to the Veil Nebula
Fawaris, a blue-white giant, part of a triple star system
Azelfafage, part of a binary star system visible to the naked eye

Deep-Sky Objects in Cygnus

With your eVscope, you can take a closer look at Cygnus’ deep-sky objects, too:

Image of the Western Veil Nebula captured by Unistellar eVscope user Chuck Brown (USA)

Veil Nebula

The remnants of a supernova, this cloud of heated dust and ionized gas takes up an area of the sky 36 times larger than the full moon. The Veil Nebula is the visible portion of the larger Cygnus Loop.

Image captured by Unistellar eVscope user Chuck Brown (USA)

Fireworks Galaxy

NGC 6946 is a spiral galaxy situated face-on — perfect for viewing in all its glory. The galaxy, about one-third the size of the Milky Way, is within the Virgo Supercluster.

Composite of two eVscope images by Unistellar user Julien de Lambilly (Switzerland)

Cocoon Nebula

The Cocoon Nebula is a stellar nursery forming stars from gas and dust. Astronomers have spotted hundreds of young stars in the nebula and surrounding “tail.”

We encourage you to share your observations and join the conversation through our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #UnistellarChallenge!

If you’d like to send us your observations by email, send them to [email protected].

Clear skies! 🔭