The system has three constituents: a spectroscopic binary (designated Epsilon Cygni A); an optical companion (B) and a single star (C). A's two components are themselves designated Epsilon Cygni Aa (officially named Aljanah/ˈældʒənə/) and Ab.
Nomenclature
ε Cygni (Latinised to Epsilon Cygni) is the system's Bayer designation. The designations of the three constituents as Epsilon Cygni A, B and C, and those of A's components - Epsilon Cygni Aa and Ab - derive from the convention used by the Washington Multiplicity Catalog (WMC) for multiple star systems, and adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).[9]
Epsilon Cygni bore the traditional name Gienah from the Arabical janāħ (Arabic: جناح) meaning "the wing".[10] However that name was more usually applied to Gamma Corvi.[7] For reasons of disambiguation it was sometimes called Gienah Cygni. In 2016, the IAU organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)[11] to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems.[12] It approved the name Aljanah for the component Epsilon Cygni Aa on 30 June 2017. It had previously approved the name Gienah for Gamma Corvi A on 6 November 2016. Both are now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.[13]
Epsilon Cygni A has an optical companion, Epsilon Cygni B, with which it is not physically associated, and a 13th magnitude candidate common proper motion companion, Epsilon Cygni C, at an angular separation of 78 arcseconds.[16] If the latter star is gravitationally bound to Epsilon Cygni A, then they are currently separated by 1700 AU or more, and have an orbital period of at least 50,000 years.[6]
Properties
ε Cygni appears north of the Veil nebula towards the bottom left
Since 1943, the spectrum of Epsilon Cygni A has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified.[20]
Veil Nebula
ε Cygni lies about three degrees north of the Veil nebula, a probable ancient supernova remnant. The nebula is far more distant than the star.
References
^ a b c d evan Leeuwen, Floor (November 2007), "Validation of the new Hipparcos reduction", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 474 (2): 653–664, arXiv:0708.1752v1, Bibcode:2007A&A...474..653V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078357, S2CID 18759600 Note: see VizieR catalogue I/311.
^ a b cOja, T. (August 1986), "UBV photometry of stars whose positions are accurately known. III", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 65 (2): 405–409, Bibcode:1986A&AS...65..405O
^ a b c d e fGray, David F. (2015). "A Spectroscopic Analysis of the K0 III Binary ε Cygni". The Astrophysical Journal. 810 (2): 117. Bibcode:2015ApJ...810..117G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/810/2/117. S2CID 125700196.
^ a b cMassarotti, Alessandro; et al. (January 2008), "Rotational and Radial Velocities for a Sample of 761 HIPPARCOS Giants and the Role of Binarity", The Astronomical Journal, 135 (1): 209–231, Bibcode:2008AJ....135..209M, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/135/1/209
^ a b c d eBaines, Ellyn K.; Thomas Armstrong, J.; Clark, James H.; Gorney, Jim; Hutter, Donald J.; Jorgensen, Anders M.; Kyte, Casey; Mozurkewich, David; Nisley, Ishara; Sanborn, Jason; Schmitt, Henrique R. (November 2021). "Angular Diameters and Fundamental Parameters of Forty-four Stars from the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer". The Astronomical Journal. 162 (5): 198. arXiv:2211.09030. Bibcode:2021AJ....162..198B. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ac2431. ISSN 0004-6256. S2CID 238998021.
^ a bKaler, James, "GIENAH CYGNI (Epsilon Cygni)", Stars, University of Illinois, retrieved 2011-12-11
^ a bRumrill, H. B. (1936). "Star Name Pronunciation". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 48 (283): 139. Bibcode:1936PASP...48..139R. doi:10.1086/124681. S2CID 120743052.
^Hessman, F. V.; Dhillon, V. S.; Winget, D. E.; Schreiber, M. R.; Horne, K.; Marsh, T. R.; Guenther, E.; Schwope, A.; Heber, U. (2010). "On the naming convention used for multiple star systems and extrasolar planets". arXiv:1012.0707 [astro-ph.SR].
^Allen, Richard Hinckley (1899), "Star-names and their meanings", New York, G.E. Stechert: 197, Bibcode:1899sntm.book.....A
^"IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)". Retrieved 22 May 2016.
^"WG Triennial Report (2015-2018) - Star Names" (PDF). p. 5. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
^"Naming Stars". IAU.org. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
^(in Chinese)中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
^(in Chinese) 香港太空館 - 研究資源 - 亮星中英對照表 Archived 2011-01-30 at the Wayback Machine, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.
^ a bMcMillan, R. S.; Smith, P. H.; Moore, T. L.; Perry, M. L. (December 1992), "Variation of the radial velocity of Epsilon Cygni A", Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 104 (682): 1173–1176, Bibcode:1992PASP..104.1173M, doi:10.1086/133105
^"Washington Double Star Catalog". United States Naval Observatory. Archived from the original on 14 February 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
^Cohen, Martin; et al. (April 1999), "Spectral Irradiance Calibration in the Infrared. X. A Self-Consistent Radiometric All-Sky Network of Absolutely Calibrated Stellar Spectra", The Astronomical Journal, 117 (4): 1864–1889, Bibcode:1999AJ....117.1864C, doi:10.1086/300813
^Garrison, R. F. (December 1993), "Anchor Points for the MK System of Spectral Classification", Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 25: 1319, Bibcode:1993AAS...183.1710G, archived from the original on 2019-06-25, retrieved 2012-02-04