Beta Cygni is Albireo, is a beautiful gold and blue double star in the head of Cygnus, the Swan.

It is located 434 light-years from Earth. It is unknown if Albireo is a true gravitationally bound binary-star system or just an optical double where the two stars happen to line up along the same line of sight by chance. If it is a true double star, the orbital period must be very long.

The apparent separation of the two stars is 34.7 arcseconds with a position angle of 55 degrees. Albireo A, the brighter of the two stars at magnitude 3.05, is a golden yellow-giant star with a spectral class of K3. Albireo B, at magnitude 5.12, has a B8 spectral classification.

Albireo B was also discovered to be a double star itself with a separation of only 0.4 arcseconds.

Part of the stunning visual beauty of Albireo is the color contrast of the two stars, which is real, but exaggerated by human visual perception.

Albireo's brightness, color, and large separation make it an outstanding showcase object for small telescopes.

North is to the top in the above image.

Beta Cygni Catalogs: Beta Cygni 6 Cygni TYC 2133-2964-1 HIP 95947 HD 183912 BD +27 3410 SAO 87301 Common Name: Albireo Object Type: Double Star Magnitude: 3.3, 5.5 Separation: 34 arcseconds Constellation: Cygnus Image Field Centered At: RA: 19h 31m 16s Dec: +27° 59' 10"