✧ Northern Cross The Northern Cross is an asterism in Cygnus. • ⢀• ⠈⢧ ⣠⠖⠋ ⠈⢧ ⢀⣠⠞⠁ ⠈⢧ ⢀⡴⠋ ⢈•⡋ ⣠⠏ ⠉⠳⣄ ⢀⡼⠁ ⠈⠓⢦⡀ ⣠⠏ ⠙·⡀ •⠃ ⠙⣆ ⠈⠳⡄ ⠙⢦ ⠈⠳⣄ ⠘· Type Asterism Constellation Cygnus Stars 6 More information about Northern Cross The Northern Cross is the brightest part of Cygnus, the swan, and it lies along the Milky Way in the richest star fields the northern sky has. Deneb marks the top of the cross and Albireo the foot. Albireo is worth a telescope of any size, because what looks like a single star separates into two, one gold and one blue, sitting close together. Read as the swan instead, the same stars are a bird flying down the length of the Milky Way with its wings spread, and on autumn evenings the cross stands upright over the western horizon. Etymology From English Reading the Northern Cross Literally the cross in the north The evolution of Northern Cross over time -50,000 years ⠐• Deneb ⠈⢆ ⢀⡠• Al Fawaris ⢣⡀ ⢀⣠⠔⠊⠁ ⠳⡀ ⣀⡤⠒⠉ ⠑⡄ ⢀⡠⠔⠋⠁ ⠈⢆⣀⠤⠊⠁ ⢸•⡄Sadr ⢸ ⠈⠣⡄ ⡏ ⠈⠣⡀ ⡇ ⠈⠢⡀ ⡇ ⠈⠢⡀ ⢸ ⠉· ⢸ ⠙⢄⡀ ⡸ ⠑⢄ ⡇ ⠓⣄ ⡇ ⠈⠲⡀ ⢰⠃ ⠈⢢⡀ ⠘• ⠘⢆⡀ ⠑⢄ · Albireo now ⠠• Deneb ⣀ ⠘⢄ ⣀⠴⠊• Al Fawaris ⠈⢦ ⢀⡴⠊ ⠳⡀ ⢀⡤⠖⠁ ⠑⡄ ⡠⠖⠁ ⠘⣆⣠⠔⠋ ⡠⠚•⢄Sadr ⢠⠜⠁ ⠈⠣⡄ ⢀⠔⠁ ⠈⠓⣄ ⡴⠉ ⠓⣄ ⡠⠋ ⠓⢄ ⢠⠎ ⠑· •⠁ ⠈⠱⡄ ⠈⠣⡀ ⠉⢦ ⠙⢄ ⠱⢄ ⠈⠣⡄ ⠈⠢ · Albireo +50,000 years ⢀ ⣠• Al Fawaris Deneb •⢢ ⡠⠚ ⠳⡀ ⢀⡠⠊ ⠑⡄ ⢀⠴⠊ ⠈⢦ ⢀⠴⠉ ⠈⢣ ⢠⠔⠁ ⢀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠔⠒⠒•⢅ •⠒⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠁ Sadr ⠑⢤ ⠙⢆⡀ ⠉⠦⡀ ⠉⠢⡀ ⠈⠣⣄ ·⡀ ⠈⢢⡀ ⠘⢆ ⠑⣄ ⠱⡄ ⠈⠣⡀ ⠈⢦ · Albireo Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 7%, and the furthest any of its stars travels is 6.9 degrees. Albireo and HR 7615 drift the opposite way to the other 4, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving. curl 'skymap.sh/Northern%20Cross/evolution.gif' where it is tonight: skymap.sh/Northern Cross