When is the best time to observe 49 Cygni?

49 Cygni is best observed from June through August, with peak visibility during July when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is 49 Cygni located in the sky?

49 Cygni lies in the constellation Cygnus at right ascension 20h 41m and declination +32° 18′.

What telescope do I need to split 49 Cygni?

Splitting 49 Cygni requires an aperture of roughly 100 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 2.8″ at magnitudes near 5.5. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

49 Cygni — Double Star in Cygnus

Observable Double Star Good (52/100)

Sep: 2.8", Companion: mag 8.1

Magnitude 5.5^m DoubleStar Cygnus (Cyg) Visible

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Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 5.51

Spectral Type G8IIb supergiant

Star Color Orange (B-V 0.88)

Distance 815 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 20h 41m 02.6s

Dec +32° 18' 26.0"

Constellation Cygnus (Cyg)

HR 7921

HIP 102066

HD 197177

SAO 70362

Flamsteed 49 Cyg

Double Cat 14158

SIMBAD

3How easy to split?

Primary 5.5 mag Companion 8.1 mag Separation 2.8″

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Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	Hard+	Hard+	Hard+
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	Medium+	Medium+	Medium+
Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm	Easy	Easy	Easy

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

4Visibility

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Best season Jun – Aug (peak: Jul)

5Multiple Star System Triple C: optical

Components 3 (triple)

Component IDs AB

Separation 2.8″

Companion Mag 8.1

Position Angle 46°

Star Colors A: Orange

Discoverer STF2716

Notes

AB binary.

Separation over time

Measured 1783 → 2023 (240 y)

Separation drift 4.0" → 2.8" (-1.20")

Rate -0.0050" / y

PA drift 58° → 46° (-12°, -0.050°/y)

Slow change over generations — observable in lifetime comparisons.

Measured from the WDS observational archive. No orbital solution has been derived — most likely the period is too long to fit an orbit to the available measurement arc.