Navigate through the cosmos to find Cygnus X-1, the enigmatic black hole, using our comprehensive guide on stargazing!
In the vast expanse of the Milky Way, there lies a celestial enigma known as Cygnus X-1, a black hole hidden against the backdrop of Cygnus, the Swan constellation. This enigmatic object, first identified as a black hole by Paul Murdin and Louise Webster in 1971, is always in the same general region of the sky as viewed from Earth.
To begin your quest to locate Cygnus X-1, start by finding Eta (η) Cygni, a naked-eye star located in the neck of the Swan between Sadr (Gamma (γ) Cygni) and Albireo (Beta (β) Cygni). From Eta Cygni, Cygnus X-1 is located an additional 25 arcminutes east and 6 arcminutes north.
The other component in this celestial dance is a supergiant variable star, HDE 226868 (HIP 98298), which shines at mag. +9.0 and can be seen through a small telescope. To reach HDE 226868, one must first locate a slightly less bright star, mag. +7.3 HIP 98193. A step further is finding mag. +8.9 TYC2678-2291-1, a star of similar brightness to HDE 226868.
HDE 226868, with a magnitude of +10, might not seem particularly bright to the naked eye, but from an observational standpoint, Cygnus X-1 is essentially invisible. However, the resulting accretion disk around the black hole is energetic and hot, emitting X-rays that give away the existence of its companion.
This accretion disk forms as material from HDE 226868's stellar wind is removed and spirals around the black hole. The black hole's immense mass, equivalent to 21.2 solar masses, means that no light can escape, leading to many strange space and time related phenomena.
By observing HDE 226868, one is also observing the black hole Cygnus X-1. Its effective radius is a mere 44km, a stark contrast to the vast distances of space. This enigmatic object serves as a reminder of the mysteries that continue to be unveiled in our universe.
A guide for locating HDE 226868 was originally published in the October 2021 issue of a website. For those embarking on this celestial journey, this guide may prove invaluable in uncovering the secrets of Cygnus X-1.
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