Cygnus A
Cygnus A is a blazar in the constellation Cygnus.
One of the strongest radio sources in the sky
Facts
| Type | Blazar (shape Sc) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Position (J2000) | 19h 59m 28s, +40° 44′ |
| Brightness | magnitude 15.1 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 0.6′ × 0.5′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Redshift | z = 0.05655 |
| Studied in | 2,573 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Cygnus A is highest in the sky at midnight in July. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 69° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 81°. To see it you need a large telescope or long-exposure photos.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Cygnus
- Cooling Tower Cluster (M29)
- Cygnus X-1
- Egg Nebula
- Fireworks Galaxy
- M39 (NGC 7092)
- North America Nebula
- Pelican Nebula
- Veil Nebula
Everything in Cygnus · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · Data sources & credits