Cygnus is a northern constellation lying on the plane of the Milky Way. Its name is the Latinized Hellenic (Greek) word for swan. One of the most recognizable constellations of the northern summer and autumn, it features a prominent asterism known as the Northern Cross (in contrast to the Southern Cross). Cygnus was among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.
STORRY TIME
One story based in Greek mythology told of two close friends, Cygnus and Phaeton, who were continually competing. One day, they each challenged the other to a race across the sky, around the Sun, and back to Earth. In an effort to gain the advantage, they both cut too closely to the Sun and their chariots were burned up. They both fell to the Earth and were knocked unconscious. Upon recovering, Cygnus began looking for his friend, Phaeton, and discovered his body trapped by the roots of a tree at the bottom of the Eridanus River. In an effort to retrieve his friend’s body and give it a proper burial, Cygnus repeatedly dove into the river, but could not reach his friend’s body. While he sat grieving on the bank of the river, Cygnus begged for Zeus to help him. Zeus replied that if he gave Cygnus the body of a swan, he would be able to dive deeply enough to retrieve his friend’s body. However, if Cygnus did take on the body of a swan, he would also be giving up his immortality and would only live as long as a swan would normally live. Cygnus readily agreed to this in order to retrieve his friend’s body and give him a proper burial, allowing his friend’s spirit to travel into the afterlife. In honor of this great unselfish act, Zeus placed Cygnus’ image (that of a swan) into the night sky.
