Storm Dunlop - 2020 Guide to the Night Sky

The most prominent stars of Cygnus are sometimes known as the ‘Northern Cross’ (as a counterpart to the ‘Southern Cross’ – the constellation of Crux – in the southern hemisphere). The central line of Cygnus through Albireo(β Cygni), extended well to the southwest, points to Sabik(η Ophiuchi) in the large, sprawling constellation of Ophiuchus (the Serpent Bearer) and beyond to Antares(α Scorpii) in the constellation of Scorpius. Like Cepheus, the shape of Ophiuchus somewhat resembles the gable-end of a house, and the brightest star Rasalhague(α Ophiuchi) is at the ‘apex’ of the ‘gable’.

A line from the central star of Cygnus, Sadr(γ Cygni) through δ Cygni, in the northwestern ‘wing’ points towards the Head of Draco, and is another way of locating that part of the constellation. Another line from Sadr to Vega indicates the central portion, ‘The Keystone’, of the constellation of Hercules. An arc through the same stars, in the opposite direction, points towards the constellation of Pegasus, and more specifically to the ‘Great Square of Pegasus’.

Aquilais less conspicuous than Cygnus and consists of a diamond shape of stars, representing the body and wings of the eagle, together with a rather faint star, λ Aquilae, marking the ‘head’. Lyra(the Lyre) mainly consists of Vega (α Lyrae) and a small quadrilateral of stars to its southeast. Continuation of a line from Vega through Altair indicates the zodiacal constellation of Capricornus.

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