S21 · E08

The Swan in the Sky

Cygnus, the Swan, is one of the most beautiful of the constellations, and it contains some spectacular objects, including the very luminous Deneb - a star at least 10,000 times more powerful than the Sun-and the lovely coloured double star Albireo. Very recently astronomers have found a new object in Cygnus-a star surrounded by a highly luminous disc from which planets may be in the process of formation. In this programme, Patrick Moore shows where to look for Cygnus, and describes some of the interesting objects on view there.