From Atlas of the Night Sky by Storm Dunlop.
X Cyg, a remarkable long period Mira-type variable, P=408 days, d=346LY. It has an exceptional range of at least 10 magnitudes (with extremes of about mag.3.3 and 14.2). This means that its brightness varies by about 10,000 times between max.and min. Around max., its deep orange colour becomes apparent.
I checked out Chi Cygni tonight and compared it to Eta Cygni and I felt that Chi was marginally brighter. So I guess it could be at approx mag. 3.4. This guessing game is new to me, but this is the best way to learn I suppose.
The colour is beautiful, as it says above, a very orange star.
I have sent some time tonight observing XCygni, easy naked eye star even with a bright Moon.
I took a 10 second photo piggy back on the 20cm Celestron 800 iso 55mm lens I don't know how it will turn, Ionly wanted the constellation outline.
I don't have a digital camera so will have to wait a while to get the film developed.
As you say jjj it is a beautiful Deep orange colour, Quite awesome to think it has such a big brightness range.
Have been waiting to have a look at Chi Cygni latest outburst for several
days now. But we're in storm mode hasn't let up much since we got back
from Astrofest, except for a few hours with the PST.
I was able to share this beautiful bright orange star with 100's of guests at the Garma festival here in Arnhem land over the W/E.
This led to many discussions on the nature of a recurrent Nova star, and of the life cycle of a star generally.
Good on ya! Ian it is quite lovely coloured star through a telescope, The varabilaty of this star is instabilityfrom inside not external as in a nova, it is a Mira type star and has one of the greatest amplitudes of any known star,going from at its brightest around mag 2.3 to dimmer than mag 13.
Glad you had a good turnup:
It is a Mira type variable which are orange to red and is in fact a red giant star, they stay the same colour they just get duller till they get down to their faintest mag.
If you watch the most famous variable star Mira, you will notice it is the same colour ,but it does not have the amplitude of Chi going from around mag 3.5-9mag in 331 days but there are fluctuations in brightness and length of period over a four year period
Here is a 10 second shot of Chi Cygni, also in the shot is the remains of a Meteor which went of just before I clicked the shutter.
Minolta SRT101 55mm lens, 800 Iso, Piggyback on Sct.
Gama is the closest star to the bottom edge of the picture and Beta (Albireo) is the bright star below the double star at the top of the picture.
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