61 Cygni is a bright double star in the constellation Cygnus. It’s best viewed in summer and early autumn.
This double star is undoubtedly intriguing as it lies a mere 11 light-years away. In terms of astronomical distances, 61 Cygni is like a next-door neighbor as the 12th closest known star to the Earth! Due to its close proximity, 61 Cygni has a large proper motion. In other words, this pair moves quickly compared to the background stars.
The website EarthSky puts it well by stating: “Think of two people who are running, one near you, and the other farther away. In relation to the more distant landscape, the person closer to you would appear to cover more ground – more objects would pass behind them – than the person farther away.”
Let’s say every September 1 (for 150 years), you take a picture of 61 Cygni. If you were to combine your photos over this time span, 61 Cygni would have moved across your frame the width of a full moon; meanwhile, other background stars would appear mostly frozen in place due to the double star’s rapid velocity.
The Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi noticed 61 Cygni’s rapid movement when he compared his observations from the late 1700s to ones made 40 years earlier. He decided to call the double the Flying Star.
My Observations
| Date | August 18, 2023 |
| Time | 9:52 p.m. |
| Location | Seattle, WA |
| Magnification | 169x |
| Scope | Meade 8″ SCT |
| Eyepiece | 12mm |
| Seeing | Average |
| Transparency | Average, light haze |
I forgot how pretty 61 Cygni is. It’s two small oranges lying in front of a smattering of stars. Perhaps a recent trip to Florida is inspiring my thoughts on oranges. Nevertheless, these two stars are not only intriguing, with a rich history, but also a favorite site to see on late summer nights.
Observed also on September 1, 2021, at 9:50 p.m. This is a prominent binary star system. The larger, brighter star (Cyg A) has a red hue. The slightly smaller one is more yellow. It is a pretty double.
Backyard Photo
Key Stats
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Best Viewing | Summer |
| Visual Magnitude | +5.2 | +6.0 |
| Absolute Visual Magnitude | +7.35 |
| Distance from Earth | 11 ly |
| Separation | 31.9″ | 126 AU |
| Orbital Period | 678 years |
| Milky Way Location | Orion Spur |
| My Viewing Grade | A- |
| Designations | 61 Cyg, SAO 70919, Bessel’s Star, Piazzi’s Flying Star |
Sources and Notes
Photo of 16 Cygni by Гоша0102 as licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Sketch by Wayne McGraw
AKA: 61 Cyg, SAO 70919, Bessel’s Star, Piazzi’s Flying Star
The Garden Astronomer 
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