KY Cygni

Also known as KY Cyg

KY Cygni is a red supergiant star in the constellation Cygnus, about 4,880 light-years from Earth.

Red supergiant

Open it on the live sky map Plan Night Exploration

KY Cygni: a sky-survey photograph of its field — Sky survey view (DSS2 colour, or a backup survey)

Facts

Type	Red supergiant star (spectral type M3Ia)
Constellation	Cygnus
Position (J2000)	20h 25m 58s, +38° 21′
Distance	4,880 light-years (its light set off about 4,880 years ago)
Brightness	magnitude 13.5 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6)
Studied in	102 scientific papers (SIMBAD)

When and how to see it

KY Cygni is highest in the sky at midnight in July. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 72° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 78°. 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

Everything in Cygnus · All 88 constellations · All sky objects

Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · Data sources & credits