| Cygnus (The Swan) |
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A conspicuous constellation of the northern Milky Way, in the shape of an elongated cross, supposedly like a swan in flight. It was among the 48 listed by Ptolemy (c. AD 140) and is sometimes called the Northern Cross. It contains 11 stars brighter than fourth magnitude, including the first magnitude Deneb and a well-known double star, Albireo. See also: Table 4. |