Albireo: Colourful Double Star
| Catalogues | ||
| Names | Albireo | |
| Type | Multiple Star System | |
| Constellation | Cygnus | |
| Season Visible in Evening | Summer; June - November | |
| Conversation Notes | Double star with striking colour difference. |
Albireo
This beautiful double star is easy to find. Use the Summer Triangle to find the constellation Cygnus. (Here are detailed instructions to find the Summer Triangle.)
|
 |
| Deneb, the brightest star in Cygnus, is the tail of the swan. Albireo is the swan's head, at the other end of the line. |  |
Even at very low magnification, such as binoculars or your magnifying finder, you should be able to see a hint that this is a double star. |
 |
| With moderate magnification - about 100x in his simulation - you will clearly see the two components, and see that they are strikingly different colours. The larger star is a brilliant yellow while the smaller star is a beautiful steel blue. |  |
All the above images were generated with Starry Night Pro.