An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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A → binary star in the → constellation  → Cygnus lying at a distance of 11.4 → light-years. It consists of a pair of → K-type  → dwarf stars. The more massive component (61 Cygni A) is a K5 type with a mass of 0.70 Msun and the other one (61 Cygni B) a K7 type of 0.63 Msun. The components of this → visual binary orbit each other in a → period of about 659 years. 61 Cygni was the first star whose distance was measured using its → annual parallax. It was done by the German astronomer Friedrich Bessel in 1838 who derived a parallax of 0".314. Recent more precise observations with the → Hipparcos satellite give a value of 0".286. Same as → Bessel's star and → Piazzi's Flying Star.

61 Cygni, according to the → Flamsteed designation; → Cygnus.