Albireo is a double star, and one of
unusual beauty as seen through a telescopes because of the
distinct colors that can be seen. The brighter star is
a golden yellow, while its fainter companion has a bluish
hue. Located at the "head" of the constellation Cygnus
the Swan, this pair is visible to the unaided eye, although
without a telescope appears as a single star.
It has been determined that the
brighter, golden member of this binary is itself also a
double star, making Albireo actually a triple star system.
But the closer companion to the golden star is too close for
most telescopes to separate.
Albireo is about 385 light years
away. |
