Sadr (Gamma Cygni)

The Gamma Cygni Nebula surrounds the star Gamma Cygni, a giant white-yellow star that sits at the intersection of the Northern Cross in Cygnus (the Swan). The star Gamma Cygni is commonly called Sadr, which in Arabic means “the hen’s breast.”

Although Sadr appears to be part of the nebula, it is much closer to us at a distance of only 1,800 light years. The Gamma Cygni Nebula has given birth to a number of open star clusters and continues to form new stars in its depths.

The star is unusual in that it’s a supergiant star that is neither blue nor red, but rather has a yellow-white color. It’s surface temperature is similar to our sun’s surface temperature at around 5,800 Kelvin. But because of its size, it is 60,000 times brighter than the sun. It has a mass of around 14 to 16 solar masses, but it’s diameter is between 183 and 235 times that of the sun.

Taken at home before toting the TOA130 out to Deep Sky West, where it now lives, this was the first image I took with that telescope.