Cygnus the Swan

constellation · northern sky · summer stars

Swan in the stars. Cygnus gets its name from the Latin word for swan, and it really does look like a graceful bird soaring across the night sky with its wings spread wide.

The Northern Cross. Cygnus contains a famous star pattern called the Northern Cross, which is much easier to spot than trying to see the whole swan shape.

Right on the Milky Way. This constellation sits right along the plane of the Milky Way galaxy, so it's surrounded by thousands of stars and glowing clouds of gas that make it extra special to explore.

Ancient and famous. Cygnus was one of only 48 constellations that the great astronomer Ptolemy listed way back in the 2nd century, and astronomers still recognize it today as one of the 88 official constellations.

Summer sky treasure. If you look up during summer and autumn nights in the Northern Hemisphere, Cygnus is one of the easiest and most beautiful constellations to find.